Coal supporters align closely with nuclear supporters as do authoritarians.
this is drawn from published, peer reviewed research on the beliefs of the public and how those beliefs flow from values held.
1) Attitudes toward nuclear power are a result of perceived risk
2) Attitudes and risk perceptions are determined by previously held values and beliefs that serve to determine the level of trust in the nuclear industry.
3) Increased trust in the nuclear industry reduces perceived risk of nuclear power
4) Therefore, higher trust in the nuclear industry and the consequent lower risk perceptions predict positive attitudes toward nuclear power.
5) Traditional values are defined here as assigning priority to family, patriotism, and stability
6) Altruism is defined as a concern with the welfare of other humans and other species.
7) Neither trust in environmental institutions nor perceived risks from global environmental problems predict a person’s attitudes toward nuclear power.
8) Those with traditional values tend to embrace nuclear power; while those with altruistic values more often reject nuclear power.
9) Altruism is recognized as a dependable predictor of various categories of environmental concern.
10) Traditional values are associated with less concern for the environment and are unlikely to lead to pro-environmental behavioral intentions.
From this 2009 study commissioned by the nuclear industry: Risk Analysis, Vol. 29, No. 3, 2009
The Future of Nuclear Power: Value Orientations and Risk Perception
Stephen C. Whitfield,1 Eugene A. Rosa,2 Amy Dan,3 and Thomas Dietz3?
Since the turn of the 21st century, there has been a revival of interest in nuclear power. Two decades ago, the expansion of nuclear power in the United States was halted by widespread public opposition as well as rising costs and less than projected increases in demand for elec- tricity. Can the renewed enthusiasm for nuclear power overcome its history of public resis- tance that has persisted for decades? We propose that attitudes toward nuclear power are a function of perceived risk, and that both attitudes and risk perceptions are a function of values, beliefs, and trust in the institutions that influence nuclear policy. Applying structural equation models to data from a U.S. national survey, we find that increased trust in the nu- clear governance institutions reduces perceived risk of nuclear power and together higher trust and lower risk perceptions predict positive attitudes toward nuclear power. Trust in en- vironmental institutions and perceived risks from global environmental problems do not predict attitudes toward nuclear power. Values do predict attitudes: individuals with traditional values have greater support for, while those with altruistic values have greater opposition to, nuclear power. Nuclear attitudes do not vary by gender, age, education, income, or political orientation, though nonwhites are more supportive than whites. These findings are consistent with, and provide an explanation for, a long series of public opinion polls showing public am- bivalence toward nuclear power that persists even in the face of renewed interest for nuclear power in policy circles.
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