PUBLIC ASPECT

Public attitude to nuclear power industry

After Fukushima breakdown

As it was presented above, the current mood of the public, associated with the construction of the new nuclear units, was rather positive. However serious outage in Japanese Fukushima Daichi nuclear power plant, has stimulated concerns about safety again.

According to [121], 12 days after Japanese accident, Americans are favour of nuclear power plants only in 43%. Acceptance is lower than in year 1977. It means, lower that after local Three Miles Island outage. Additionally, over 60% of Americans suppose that in the USA serious nuclear accident is evidently possible.

If public acceptance does not change in Italy, they will have to postponed their reactor construction again. 68% of Italians are against using nuclear energy in their country. Additionally 90% of Italians prefer renewable energy sources then nuclear energy. 17 % of them, has changed their opinions after Fukushima accident. [122]

German public surveys concerning nuclear power plants construction acceptance are not known. However, it can be supposed that the public support decrease after large protest of 200 000 participants against nuclear energy use was organised. People demand faster development renewable energy sources. [123]

Polish surveys are not fully corresponding. It is also hard to directly compare results before Fukushima from Figure no. 42 and after Fukushima from Figure no. 44 because different institutions has conducted the survey. In this case, only general assumptions are possible. However, in the Figure no. 40, also data from January 2011 are presented as well as from March 2011, and these both have been conducted by the same institution. They are directly comparable.

Figure 44.The public attitude in Poland referring to nuclear power plant located in near distance to people households
Source: Own development based on

"Sondaz: Fukushima odciaga Polaków od atomu", 21 March 2011, update 29 March 2011, http://www.newsweek.pl/artykuly/sekcje/spoleczenstwo/sondaz--fukushima-odciaga-polakow-od-atomu,74101,1 , [124]

"Polacy podzieleni ws. elektrowni atomowej",TVN24, 15 March 2011, http://www.tvn24.pl/12690,1695906,0,2,polacy-podzieleni-ws-elektrowni-atomowej,wiadomosc.html, [125]

"Polacy podzieleni ws. powstania elektrowni atomowej w Polsce", PAP, 25 March 2011, http://energetyka.wnp.pl/polacy-podzieleni-ws-powstania-elektrowni-atomowej-w-polsce,135989_1_0_0.html , [126]

According to [123], Fukushima accident has caused public acceptance decrease by 10 percentage points. It is large value, referring to the fact how difficult is to convince the public to abandon their fears. Other surveys has indicated acceptance at level 46-47%. Nevertheless, it is lower than, before accident (Figure no.42), but as it have been mentioned, these data do not come from the same source. The most reliable results, in comparison acceptance level before and after Fukushima, presents two first columns in Figure no.44.

It is difficult to predict how long bad mood in public acceptance will remain at low level. It is possible that decrease is only temporary but according to [127], Fukushima can permanently slow down investments in nuclear power stations in Europe.

  • Copyrights 2011 © Michal Wierzbowski