Social and Ethical Aspects of Radiation Risk Management provides a comprehensive treatment of the major ethical and social issues resulting from the use of ionizing radiation. It covers topics such as nuclear fuel cycles, radioactive waste treatment, nuclear bomb testing, nuclear safety management, stakeholder engagement, cleanup after nuclear accidents, ecological risks from radiation, environmental justice, health and safety for radiation workers, radiation dose standards, the ethics of clinical radiology, and the principles of radiation protection and their ethical underpinnings. With authors ranging from philosophers to radiation protection officials and practitioners, the book spans from theoretical to practical implications of this important area of radiation risk assessment and management. - Covers all the major social and ethical issues in relation to radiation protection - Information is easily accessible and non-technical - Authors include leading radiation protection officials as well as specialists who are more independent of the radiation protection system, thus presenting both authoritative and more critical views - Includes theoretical perspectives as well as practical experience

This book provides a theoretical and philosophical evaluation of why ethics matters for radiation protection, considering ethical questions such as harm, acceptability of risks, intention and the burden of proof. This includes a comprehensive introduciton to ethical theory, a discussion of the morally relevant aspects of actions linked to radiation exposure and an evaluation of radiation protection principles (including the latest ICRP recommendations) against ethical theory. A central thesis of the book is that ethics can be a tool to help improve the assessment and management of risks, illustrating the interaction between science, policy and values, and offering practical advice on risk evaluation for scientists, authorities and regulators.

This book presents an up to date ethical framework for radiological protection in medicine. It is consistent with the requirements of the system of radiation protection and with the expectations of medical ethics. It presents an approach rooted in the medical tradition, and alert to contemporary social expectations. It provides readers with a practical framework against which they can assess the safety and acceptability of medical procedures, including patients’ concerns. It will be an invaluable reference for radiologists, radiation oncologists, regulators, medical physicists, technologists, other practitioners, as well as academics, researchers and students of radiation protection in medicine. Features: An authoritative and accessible guide, authored by a team who have contributed to defining the area internationally Includes numerous practical examples/clinical scenarios that illustrate the approach, presenting a pragmatic approach, rather than dwelling on philosophical theories Informed by the latest developments in the thinking of international organizations

Engineering the Climate: The Ethics of Solar Radiation Management discusses the ethical issues associated with deliberately engineering a cooler climate to combat global warming. Climate engineering (also known as geoengineering) has recently experienced a surge of interest given the growing likelihood that the global community will fail to limit the temperature increases associated with greenhouse gases to safe levels. Deliberate manipulation of solar radiation to combat climate change is an exciting and hopeful technical prospect, promising great benefits to those who are in line to suffer most through climate change. At the same time, the prospect of geoengineering creates huge controversy. Taking intentional control of earth’s climate would be an unprecedented step in environmental management, raising a number of difficult ethical questions. One particular form of geoengineering, solar radiation management (SRM), is known to be relatively cheap and capable of bringing down global temperatures very rapidly. However, the complexity of the climate system creates considerable uncertainty about the precise nature of SRM’s effects in different regions. The ethical issues raised by the prospect of SRM are both complex and thorny. They include: 1) the uncertainty of SRM’s effects on precipitation patterns, 2) the challenge of proper global participation in decision-making, 3) the legitimacy of intentionally manipulating the global climate system in the first place, 4) the potential to sidestep the issue of dealing with greenhouse gas emissions, and, 5) the lasting effects on future generations. It has been widely acknowledged that a sustained and scholarly treatment of the ethics of SRM is necessary before it will be possible to make fair and just decisions about whether (or how) to proceed. This book, including essays by 13 experts in the field of ethics of geoengineering, is intended to go some distance towards providing that treatment.

Written by leading international contributors, this book examines the ethical issues concerning nuclear energy technology and waste disposal. Discussing topics such as risk, safety, security, justice and democracy, it is relevant to a broad range of readers including scholars of environmental philosophy, ethics, energy policy studies and the social sciences.

This text addresses ethics, law, risk management, and safety in diagnostic imaging and therapeutic radiology. Each chapter contains case studies or scenarios in order to better illustrate concepts to the reader. Sample forms at the end of the text offer guidance in the preparation and drafting of forms, charts, procedures, and policies. Includes information on decision-making, patient rights, malpractice, civil liability, record keeping, communication, education, and more.