Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!hagerp
From: hagerp@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: WHY AREN'T WE ALL DEAD???
Message-ID: <27300001@iuvax>
Date: 18 Sep 89 20:03:00 GMT
Organization: Indiana University CSCI, Bloomington
Lines: 20
Nf-ID: #N:iuvax:27300001:000:820
Nf-From: iuvax.cs.indiana.edu!hagerp    Sep 18 15:03:00 1989


I am appalled by continued statements by the neo-Luddite crowd that
"... plutonium is the most toxic substance known to man, with one
pound -- if evenly distributed  -- capable of causing cancer in
every human being on the planet ...".  If this statement is true

		WHY AREN'T WE ALL DEAD???

During atmospheric nuclear testing (which the Chinese still do),
only some of the plutonium present fissioned -- the rest vaporized
and was carried up into the stratosphere to fall out days, weeks, or
months later.  This amounted to several pounds per bomb.  Estimates
are that 7 to 10 metric tonnes have been released over the years.
Today, on any random square meter of ground, some plutonium can be
found.

So, I ask again -- if plutonium is so dangerous, why aren't we all
dead.

-- paul hager		hagerp@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu