Public Opinion of Nuclear Power

A survey by Jess Revill

A total of 183 people took part in the survey












With stockpiles of fossil fuels depleting rapidly and demand for energy expecting to rise, there is
urgent need for renewable sources to keep up this supply. Nuclear power has been identified as
one of the most efficient, cost-effective and low-carbon alternatives available, therefore making it
likely to become even more of an important contribution of the UKs energy consumption. I
wanted to see what the general public thought of this prospect and how well it is supported.
When asked about the first
words that came to mind
when nuclear power is
mentioned, the top five most
common were:
energy
clean
waste
future
radiation

Around 65% of participants said they have an above
average understanding of the science behind how
nuclear power is generated.
Over 80% said they
feel the nuclear fuel
industry is portrayed
negatively in the
media.
85% of
respondents were
concerned about
the disposal of
radioactive waste.












Further comments from participants:















60% of people questioned see nuclear power
as the energy source of the future.
Over 80% said
they support
nuclear power.
Most participants were:
Aged 18 29
Employed
Living in England
I would rather not have nuclear power due to the long-term waste issues. However, with a lack of
viable alternatives I think it is essential. A major concern is the lack of suitable skilled people in the UK
to construct new plants - some sort of skills academy is required to meet the coming demand.

Support of the nuclear industry is of paramount importance when considering what will happen
when the lights go out so to speak. We need to educate the public and keep the widespread fears at
bay; this can be done by means of investment, advertising and events such as corporate presentations,
public lectures or school visits.

This research was conducted in 2014 by Jess Revill at the University of Liverpool. With
special thanks to the Department of Physics for funding this research and also Canberra UK
for donating a prize for the prize draw. Any queries please e-mail jessrevill@hotmail.co.uk.
I work in the nuclear industry and am pro-nuclear; however I feel that nuclear energy is very badly
portrayed in the media. It seems that the media enjoy exaggerating the negatives of the nuclear
industry without ever portraying the benefits.

To summarise:
Generally a positive attitude shown towards nuclear power
(particularly in young people)
Nuclear power widely seen as the energy source of the future
Disposal of radioactive waste remains a concern to many
A moderate proportion of people are still wary of nuclear power