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Nuclear Energy Winning War Of Public Opinion

By Eric McErlain
Polish scientist Przemyslaw Mastalerz on the futrue of nuclear energy:
The heavy opposition against electric power generation in atomic plants appears to be fading away with growing realization that atomic plants are safer than plants fired with coal because of the high death rate in coal mines. In addition, electricity from atomic plants is cheaper and its supply is more reliable than in the case of wind turbines and solar cells. In the past decades, when the fear of radiation prevailed, no new atomic power plants were built and the demolition of existing ones was considered but this seems to be over now. The fear of radiation is also decreasing with growing realization that low radiation doses are harmless or even beneficial to living creatures.
Thanks to Greenie Watch for the pointer. For NEI's latest public opinion data, click here.

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Comments

Anonymous said…
Hi,

Contrary to this claim, an ABC/Washington Post poll of June 07, 2005 asked 1000 randomly selected citizens "In general, would you favor or oppose building more nuclear power plants at this time?"
64% said "Opposed"
34% said "Favor"
2% were "Undecided"

With regard to claim posted here that there is less fear about radiation because it is more broadly recognized that "a-little-dose-a-do-ya" you must have missed the June 2005 release of the National Academy of Sciences report on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR)VII once again confirming no safe dose threshold for radiation exposures.

I didnt notice any NEI Blog response to BEIR VII? Did I miss something? So the "beneficial dose of radiation" claim appears to be is once again unsubstantiated.

But, hey, its your blog...

Paul, NIRS
July 26, 2005 at 3:36 PM
Eric McErlain said…
On BEIR VII, our press operation was all over it. Just because we don't write about it on the blog doesn't mean NEI wasn't commenting.

Click here for our take on that topic.
July 26, 2005 at 3:45 PM
Kelly L Taylor said…
Donnie's comment here:
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=10911751&postID=112290493069507609

applies to this post, as well!
August 1, 2005 at 3:12 PM
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