By Lawrence Solomon, published by The Epoch Times
Bombs are scary. Bombs laced with radioactive materials—so called “dirty bombs”—seem even scarier. But the fear is misplaced. Exaggerated dread of dirty bombs and low-level radiation in general only magnifies terrorists’ power to sow panic while needlessly constraining U.S. military and homeland-security options.
Summary
The fear of dirty bombs has influenced U.S. defense policies, discouraging military actions against countries like Iran due to concerns about radiation. Domestically, the Department of Homeland Security has focused extensively on preparing for dirty bomb attacks, treating them as unique threats rather than recognizing them as mass-disruption events, as opposed to a mass-casualty one.
The “no safe level” myth has been pushed by ideology, not science. Bucking conventional wisdom, hundreds of studies show surprising results. Low doses of radiation have extended life, and one real-world test in Taiwan bears this out.
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Lawrence Solomon, founding columnist at Financial Post and managing director of Energy Probe Research Foundation, is the author of seven books, including The Deniers.
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