[meteorite-list] Re: Caveat Impactor

From: drtanuki <drtanuki_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:00:12 2004
Message-ID: <3D45F132.B180362F_at_tkc.att.ne.jp>

Dear Ron and Francis,
    It is important that the general public has the right to know and to
react in the manner that they see fit (even if the risk is small).
People react in different ways and governments are very slow to react to
any threat. Research must continue and sometimes the press is an
effective means to get support. The public needs to be told that such a
scenario could happen even though not much could be done on the part of
an individual, a collective effort could be formed.. My two cents on
the matter.
Sincerely, Dirk Ross...Tokyo

Francis Graham wrote:

> Dear List:
> Ron Baalke has a point when he bemoans the press
> implying that a small chance of impact is a large
> one. Further, such a situation is irresponsible. It
> would be a "cry wolf" phenomenon if a small but
> insignificant real impactor would justify the
> evacuation of a coastal area or a part of a state. The
> cooperation of many millions of people would be
> hindered by previous repeated but unjustified hype.
> Today police and emergency services have methods to
> ensure cooperation of hundreds of people. But not
> millions; that would require the conviction of most of
> those millions that some real danger existed from
> which escape in a prescribed fashion was a real
> option. Only trust in the reliable reporting of danger
> would result in this.
>
> Francis Graham
>
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Received on Mon 29 Jul 2002 09:51:47 PM PDT