Irrational fears
I've written about my annoyance at Change.org before... I recently got another email from them plugging the fear of... RADIATION.Here's the text:
Magnuson Park is seriously contaminated with high levels of radioactive contamination. The Navy is proposing to clean it up to a level that is based on it being safe for use just 2 hours a day, 2 days per week. Seattle Parks and WA Ecology have not objected to this or sought public input on whether this standard is acceptable. There are many other decisions being made without public notice or input. Please sign this petition to urge Mayor Murray and WA Ecology to create a City-State community advisory board to inform park-goers about the contamination and the cleanup, and provide a forum for their comments on the Navy's cleanup plan.
(bold from original)Here's the truth. The US Navy who previously used the area had a building where glow-in-the-dark radium was applied to dials on aircraft and such. The building is now being a fence. The Navy is committed to cleaning it up.The responses to it highlight that the people signing petition are fucking idiots. They think the entire park is a haz-mat set. "Unseen dangers should not surprise unknowing visitors to the park. These include the risk of radiation exposure, which can have catastrophic long-term effects. Please create a task force to effect an effective clean-up. Thank you!"You know what, you shouldn't climb the fence that tells you to not climb it.Then don't like the shop floor where you shouldn't be in the first place.The average citizen -- the public -- doesn't know jack about radiation. What business does the public have to do with this?Will it meet standards? Yes, move on... what the hell do you need to know about this? If you were involved, would you even know what you were being told? Probably not. If you need some reassurance, get someone from the University of Washington physics department to verify the result.Please don't: RADIATION IS BAD! GO AWAY!! PANIC!<eye-roll/>Yes, the picture up top is the one from the petition. Seriously people? Really? The park is not going to blow up even a little.