Opinions regarding nuclear power

When discussing nuclear power, I think some people tend to form their opinions concerning safety based on the accidents that have happened in the industry. It's not surprising, when you think about it though. On a daily basis, we dont hear about the nuclear power plants that keep on running, with no incidents or abnormalities. We do, however, have intense news coverage when something does go wrong at a nuclear facility, and for good reason. Nuclear accidents can have ramifications for the entire world, as was evidenced during the 1986 Chernobyl accident in the Ukraine. While events like these can have an effect on public perception, it's also interesting to note the long term trends. We also need to establish a baseline for public perception before we can explore deeper.

According to a Nuclear Energy Institute report on public opinion, people in the United States are currently favorable towards nuclear power by approximately a two-to-one margin. Long term research, sponsored by the NEI, also shows a steady climb in favorability.

The same research also shows that the last time the majority was unfavorable towards nuclear power was in the years directly following the Chernobyl incident. Interestingly enough, NEI research data also shows that people living near nuclear power plants are more in favor of nuclear power than the remainder of the general public is, with roughly 83% of nuclear power plant neighbors saying they were "strongly in favor."

There are, however, conflicting surveys about the widespread approval or disapproval of nuclear energy. How do we explain the wide range of surveys with varying results regarding public opinion of nuclear power? Ann S Bisconti, the founder of Bisconti Rsearch, offers some reasoning for varying public opinions in her article entitled "Public Opinion on Nuclear Energy: What Influences It." Bisconti's research firm conducted the research studies for the NEI, mentioned above. Bisconti argues that context is very meaningful, and that the public's opinion is "highly changeable and easily influenced." Bisconti points out that unfavorable opinions of nuclear power tend to increase when other forms of energy are cheap and plentiful. She explains that currently, energy is not a prime concern of the American public, and that during such periods, people tend to shy away from nuclear power.

Bisconti also tackles another incredibly important issue regarding public perception of nuclear power, and that is that the public tends to be somewhat under-informed when it comes to nuclear power. Bisconti points out that when people are familiar with the details of nuclear power, they tend to be more in favor of it. This would absolutely help to explain the results of the above NEI-sponsored research study regarding the favorable opinions of people living near nuclear power plants. Bisconti points out that people living near these planets tend to take it upon themselves to be better informed on the subject.

With people's opinions of nuclear power varying so widely based upon their knowledge level, I will dedicate my next blog post to looking at some of the major nuclear accidents, their causes, and what we can do to prevent future accidents.