Dr. Joseph Maher
December 16, 1976
Page 2
s
1.
Californians continue to build homes on seismic
faults or live in areas highly prone to floods and
mudslides;
2.
Residents in western Washington and central Colorado
rebuilt their homes in flood plains;
3.
Coal miners continue to work in mines that have a
history of collapsing; and
4.
Kansans,
Oklahomans,
and Texans
rebuild
farms,
homes in areas frequently hit by tornados.
and
Floods, tornados, earthquakes and mine cave~ins are visible and
real hazards.
People can see the effects almost immediately after
they occur.
Radioactive contamination produces slow changes in
metabolism,
cell
growth and respiratory areas of humans.
There
are
exceptions to the nature of the effects, of course.
Nevertheless,
the Marshall Islanders, like many underdeveloped societies, need to
experience and visualize a risk before norms and mores can be built
into their culture.
That hasn't happened and until effective proce-
dures are developed to realistically communicate the risks, I anticipate communication and educational problems to persist.
In itself, communicating technology to an underdeveloped cultural
group is a complicated and delicate process; perhaps more thought
and planning should be devoted to communicating the nature of
energy-related technologies to groups of this kind.
to this immediate problem,
to mind as follows:
In addition
an assortment of related issues comes
1.
Potential conflicts and adjustment problems of inhabi-
2.
Consequence
3.
Agency commitment to monitor and assess rehabilitation.
tants generated by the rehabilitation process;
of possible
radioactive contamination;
and
Thirty years ago, certain Marshall Islanders were relocated to other
atolls and islands to make room for federal government testing of
nuclear munitions.
Most of the Enewetakese were relocated to Kili,
located approximately 650 miles southeast of Enewetak.
Kili is an
island without beaches or reefs where the local economy is based on
limited agriculture.
Hence, fishing skills of the Enewetakese were
not necessary.
As a result most Enewetakese have all but lost these
skills because of generation gaps and disuse.
Moreover, many relocated Enewetakese have intermarried with Kilians and other island