Communicating risk to the public - Probabilistically impossible

Conference · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1991 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:6963616

Gallina, C O ^[1]

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1. Illinois Dept. of Nuclear Safety, Springfield (United States)

As far as the general public is concerned, scientists can forget about risk perception and risk acceptance. These worthy scientific goals only confuse the one single important issue - how people perceive and accept technology. Risk is rarely accepted in the abstract by the general public. Because people would rather be assured than educated, risk can only be presented within the framework of what people will accept when they accept the technology, which (among other things) produces the aforementioned risk itself. It is in this technological environment that effective risk communication becomes extremely complex. To understand the risk, the public must understand the technology - a formidable task in itself, but one that becomes even more difficult when two additional factors are included: media attention and political influence.

• OSTI ID: 6963616
• Report Number(s): CONF-920606--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Vol. 65; ISSN TANSA; ISSN 0003-018X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290600* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
BEHAVIOR
COMMUNICATIONS
INFORMATION
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
LEGAL ASPECTS
NUCLEAR POWER
POLITICAL ASPECTS
POWER
PSYCHOLOGY
PUBLIC INFORMATION
PUBLIC OPINION
PUBLIC RELATIONS
RISK ASSESSMENT