Elites in conflict: nuclear energy, ideology, and the perception of risk
We now have the capacity to injure much larger populations than ever before, and that power is growing exponentially. Expectations have also grown. Many Americans believe that it should be possible to eliminate environmental risk without lowering living standards. Further, scientific advances have enabled us to detect smaller traces of potentially toxic substances, and research permits us to measure ever-smaller effects of those substances and to extrapolate to possible disaster. However, this study indicates that ideological factors also have played a significant role in changing perceptions of risk. The argument has three hypotheses: (1) expressed concerns about the risks of new technologies on the part of some leadership groups are at least partly a function of their political ideology; (2) some groups, due to their key roles in communicating information, have persuaded a significant segment of the public that their perceptions of risks are accurate; and (3) the concern of leadership groups with the risks of new technologies is a substitute for more-fundamental criticisms of the American economic and political system. The authors examine these hypotheses, concentrating on nuclear energy. However, they strongly suspect that the same factors are at work in other areas of environmental concern as well. 49 references, 6 tables.
- OSTI ID:
- 6253447
- Journal Information:
- J. Contemp. Stud.; (United States), Vol. 8:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Politics of sunshine: an inquiry into the origin, growth, and ideological character of the solar energy movement in America
Ecological risk perception in the societies in transition: Case study of Baltic States
Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
RISK ASSESSMENT
NUCLEAR ENERGY
REACTOR SAFETY
PUBLIC OPINION
POLITICAL ASPECTS
TECHNOLOGY IMPACTS
ENERGY
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
SAFETY
290600* - Energy Planning & Policy- Nuclear Energy
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety
290200 - Energy Planning & Policy- Economics & Sociology