Public education: Learning to say what we want to say

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:240916

Heimlich, J E; Manel, K M; Fentiman, A ^[1]

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1. and others

Most people involved in the public arena know that people often react with fear and concern to the word {open_quotes}radiation.{close_quotes} It is also known that many of these same people readily admit they have little knowledge of the topic. As publics are facing the demands of decision making related to low level radioactive waste, discussions of high level waste challenges, and confusing information regarding what are sound data, the difficulty in conveying good, science based information to the public is increased. In examining the various groups involved in the low level radioactive waste (LLRW) discussions, it is some of the environmental activist groups with an anti-nuclear goal whose messages are heard by the general public. Why do these groups succeed and others not? This paper will provide a cursory examination of issues surrounding how people hear the radiation science message, what people want and need to know versus what the scientific literature contains and provide examples of how information is presented from the LLRW Education Program at Ohio State University.

• Research Organization: Lockheed Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• OSTI ID: 240916
• Report Number(s): CONF-951209--; ON: DE96005882
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
EDUCATION
INFORMATION DISSEMINATION
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
PUBLIC ANXIETY
PUBLIC INFORMATION
PUBLIC RELATIONS