Ionising radiation: perhaps we have little to fear except fear itself

People generally, especially those who are convinced that CO2causes climate change need to consider a few facts:

• Even a 'doubting Thomas' such as myself recognise that there is some good science supporting the fear of climatic change caused by CO2, but there is no scientific evidence that low dose radiation is a risk.
• Japanese imports and hence use of coal and oil has roughly doubled since Fukushima.
• The 'peak oil' idea is dead because of the massive rise in shale oil and gas production.
• Irrational fear of low level radiation leaves us at the mercy of any nutter group that makes a 'dirty bomb' and 'pollutes' a city with miniscule levels of radioactive isotopes.
• That fear also makes nuclear energy much more expensive – to the benefit of fossil fuels.
• 'Alternative' energy production, especially in the absence of massive and efficient storage capacity is unlikely to meet societal needs.
• Global population continues to rise very rapidly.

So we need to make up our individual and collective minds: are you more frightened of (a) climate change/acidification or (b) low dose ionising radiation?

Long ago, because of a lack of scientific knowledge, people were frightened of many things that were not real. They prayed for deliverance:

From ghoolies and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us.

The systematic exaggeration of the dangers of low dose radiation is having a similar effect on a vast number of people today. They are frightened.

Maybe a new prayer could be devised to protect from another non-existent threat, perhaps:

From gammas and alphas and betas that eat us and neutrons that pierce us, Good Windmills deliver us.