Analysis of the current situation and needs of university students concerning nuclear science popularization: A case study in Guangdong Province, China

Support for nuclear energy in the US is at its highest level in a decade, with 55% of Americans supporting it as a source of electricity. A Gallup poll conducted in March found 25% strongly favor, 30% somewhat favor, while 22% each strongly or somewhat oppose its usage. The report noted that oil prices have generally affected Americans’ responses since the survey was begun in 1994: high oil prices trended with more openness to nuclear energy, low oil prices trended with less favor. As of May, there were 436 nuclear power reactors in operation (connected to the grid) worldwide, providing about 10% of the world’s electricity. The countries with the most reactors are the US (93), France (56), and China (55). The largest reactors under construction were in the UK (gross electricity generation capacity of 1,720 MW). The largest-capacity nuclear reactors under construction worldwide were in China, with a total capacity of almost 22 GW (Statistica, May 2023). Projections for the potential growth of nuclear power in the next decades increased for the second consecutive year in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 2022 outlook to 2050. Its high case scenario forecast for world nuclear generating capacity more than doubled to 873 GW net electrical (GWe) by 2050, compared with current levels of around 390 GWe, an increase of 81 GWe forecast in 2021. In the low case scenario, generating capacity remains flat. “We are at a defining moment in the world’s transition to a more secure, stable, and affordable energy future,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. “Driven by the impacts of climate change and the energy crisis, governments are reconsidering their portfolios in favor of nuclear power. But for the high case scenario to be achieved, a number of challenges need to be addressed, including regulatory and industrial harmonization and progress in high-level waste disposal.” The IAEA said the use of nuclear power has avoided about 70 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions over the past 50 years. Almost half of the CO2 emission reductions needed to reach net zero in 2050 will need to come from technologies that are currently under development but are not yet on the market. IAEA said accelerating the pace of innovation and demonstration of advanced nuclear reactors including small modular reactors (SMRs) is required if nuclear is to play a role in decarbonization beyond electricity by providing low-carbon heat or hydrogen to the industrial and transport sectors. Although the Biden administration has included nuclear energy as a key component in its clean energy plan, support for nuclear energy has historically been tenuous. In the evaluation of the risks vs. benefits of nuclear energy, the risks weigh heavily in the balance, partly because when nuclear power reactors failed, they failed dramatically. Fukushima, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island. While estimates of the number of directly related deaths or subsequent deaths resulting from radiation exposure via the accident or fallout are debated and vary widely, the association of fatalities with nuclear power reactor accidents/disasters is an immediately identified risk. Concerns about the risk of weapons proliferation, core meltdowns, and disposal of spent radioactive fuel are real and will need to be addressed transparently and convincingly by governments and regulators to gain wider public approval worldwide. Increasing nuclear generating capacity is not a quick fix. The complexity of the massive project, scale of investment, and long lead times are additional drawbacks. For comparison, a “typical” nuclear power plant requires 5 years (or more) to construct; natural gas-fired plants are frequently built in about 2 years. The United Nations (UN) estimates that the world’s population will grow from 7.8 billion in 2020 to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion by 2050. Urbanization, which currently adds a city the size of Shanghai to the world’s urban population about every 4 months, is expected to result in approximately two-thirds of the world’s people living in urban areas by 2050 (up from about 55% now). The number of people without access to electricity has fallen substantially and is now below 1 billion, according to the UN. However, 733 million people, just over 9% of the world’s population, live without access. The challenge of meeting the rapidly growing energy demand, while reducing emissions, is considerable and highlights the needs for an energy mix which includes hydrocarbon, renewable, nuclear, and emerging and developing energy sources such as hydrogen.

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The party politics of nuclear energy: Party cues and public opinion regarding nuclear energy in Belgium

Nuclear energy is proposed as part of the solution to a net-zero carbon future. However, environmental issues with nuclear energy remain. In this study, a total of 1616 participants from across the U.S. stated their position on the following statements: “Nuclear energy is a clean energy source”, “Nuclear energy may be part of the solution to climate change”, “I am willing to accept the building of new nuclear power stations if it is environmentally friendly and had a zero-carbon footprint”, and “Nuclear power may lead to more pollution and environmental contamination”. Participants were also asked “Do you think nuclear energy is a zero-carbon energy?” Logistic regression was used to determine how concern around climate change and nuclear waste predicted participant responses. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to determine segments of respondents based on their perceptions of nuclear energy and the environment. Nuclear energy was perceived as being zero-carbon (74% agree), but not necessarily clean (50% agree). Nuclear energy was perceived as part of the solution to climate change (51% agree), but concern around more pollution and environmental contamination remained (42% agree). Concern around climate change was associated with greater odds of acceptance of nuclear energy, while concern around nuclear waste was associated with the opposite. The LCA suggested a “favorable”, “neutral”, and “negative” class, for which approximately 40%, 52%, and 8% of participants, respectively, belonged. This study suggests conditional (or reluctant) support for nuclear energy is occurring.

Nuclear power itself has the characteristics of safety, cleanliness and high efficiency, but due to the professional particularity of nuclear energy and the people’s lack of knowledge about nuclear energy, it leads to the “social amplification of risks” in nuclear-related projects. Some basic data in the discipline of nuclear safety and radiation protection are analyzed, and the effects of the nuclear power chain on health, environment and climate were compared with those of the coal power chain and then the advantages of the nuclear energy industry are given. The article also compares and analyzes the nuclear energy risks and other risks, and analyzes the reasons for the public misunderstanding and fear of nuclear and radiation accidents (events). Now there are many problems existing in the nuclear science popularization work, such as the trend that the risk of nuclear-related projects is easy to be amplified by the society hinders the process of the nuclear energy industry to some extent. Also there are many deficiencies of support and popularization, and many problems in the development of high-quality popular science teaching materials and models and the cultivation and sharing of high-quality resources. Based on the above analysis, it is proposed that nuclear power science popularization should make precise efforts, distinguish groups, take measures according to people, classified implementation and precise communication. Specific suggestions and measures have the following aspects: Multilevel nuclear science education should be carried out and it includes nuclear science for nuclear experts and non-nuclear experts (including educators), nuclear science for government staff and public opinion media, and nuclear science for the public; At the same time, it is necessary to improve the form of nuclear science education, and we will actively and extensively carry out popular science activities that are practical, close to the people, distinctive and effective and establish a long-term nuclear science education mechanism; Drawing on foreign experience to accelerate the formulation of China’s atomic energy law, and clarify the status of public participation in the law. So as to improve the legal and regulatory system, improve the public participation system, and strengthen the capacity building of the information disclosure platform.

ABSTRACTFive nuclear power plant operate in Spain, one of the EU countries with less support for nuclear energy. The aims of this investigation are to find out if news on nuclear power are provided from an environmental point of view, who are the sources in the nuclear debate and which are the editorial lines in Spanish newspapers from 2008 to 2012. The results show that the environmental perspective on nuclear power is unusual. Using an eco-efficient frame, it is defined as a clean source of energy. Politicians play the greatest role and party political use is made of the nuclear power issue. Spanish nuclear coverage emphasizes the views of interest groups rather than those of scientists and other experts, ecologists or citizens. Thus, the press doesn't play the substantive role in public deliberation and don't connect with the different interests and sensitivities existing in the public sphere about nuclear energy.

The role carbon emissions play in contributing to climate change makes clear the necessity for a global reconsideration of current modes of energy production. In recent years, as concerns over the threats of climate change (CC) have become more acute, four technologies have notably risen to the forefront of academic and public discourse: nuclear power, carbon capture and storage (CCS), wind power, and geoengineering. The particular interest of these four approaches lies in the fact that they reflect both energy production and climate control technologies, are often socially controversial, and present complex challenges of governance. Nuclear and wind power both deserve an important place among the variety of low‐carbon energy options. In countries where public acceptance is evaluated, although, support for nuclear energy appears to be conditional upon simultaneous development of other renewable energies alongside a feasible plan to address the disposal of nuclear waste. The Fukushima accident sharply increased public concern about the safety and vulnerability of nuclear reactors. While wind power receives general public support, issues of accommodation can arise when it comes to siting wind farms. Persistent dependency upon carbon‐producing energy has made favorable the option of CCS. However, in addition to technical and geological factors, social resistance to the placement of carbon storage units remains a key obstacle. Geoengineering offers the technological capacity to directly act on the climate should levels of atmospheric CO2become dangerously high. Public perception regarding the risk of climate change can be labile, and the alternatives reviewed here share the characteristic that their technical and political dimensions are intertwined. The variety of options for combining and implementing these technologies, coupled with the inherently time‐sensitive nature of CC, underscore the complexity of the endeavor. In order to bridge these various levels of analysis and decision making, and to better understand and integrate people's involvement, exercises in risk governance could be developed at both the national and international levels.WIREs Clim Change2011 2 712–727 DOI: 10.1002/wcc.134This article is categorized under:Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Social Amplification/Attenuation of Climate RisksThe Carbon Economy and Climate Mitigation > Policies, Instruments, Lifestyles, Behavior

Risk Perception of Nuclear Energy During the Fukushima Crisis: The Role of Trust and Communication in Taiwan

Self-medication has emerged as a significant global public health concern. Despite possessing a certain level of medication knowledge, university students in China exhibit a high-risk profile regarding self-medication practices. This study aimed to systematically investigate the current status and influencing factors of self-medication among university students in Guangdong Province, China, thereby providing evidence-based recommendations for targeted intervention strategies. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) model. Data were collected via anonymous questionnaire surveys distributed to university students in Guangdong Province, China. A total of 816 valid responses were analyzed. The questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics along with dimensions of medication knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Multiple linear regression analyses were subsequently performed to evaluate the impact of demographic factors on each dimension of the KAP model. Students demonstrated a relatively high overall qualification rate in medication knowledge (93.50%), with 43.38% achieving a "Good" level and 50.12% rated as "Fair." However, noticeable deficiencies were identified in attitudes and practices, with qualification rates approximately 75% in both dimensions. Notably, only 6.50% achieved a "Good" level in medication practices, while a substantial proportion (24.26%) was rated as "Unqualified." Regression analyses revealed that age, current academic stage, and study mode significantly influenced medication knowledge scores. No significant demographic factors were associated with medication attitudes. However, age and the primary source of medication information significantly impacted self-medication practices. These findings offer empirical evidence essential for developing targeted medication safety education interventions among university students. A clear discrepancy between knowledge and practice regarding self-medication exists among university students in Guangdong Province, China. Comprehensive intervention strategies are therefore, urgently required to promote rational medication behaviors within this population.

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The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) has created the Strategic Nuclear Research Collaboration. The SNRC brings together some of America's finest laboratory and university nuclear researchers in a carefully focused research program intended to produce ''breakthrough'' solutions to the difficult issues of nuclear economics, safety, non-proliferation, and nuclear waste. This integrated program aims to address obstacles that stand in the way of nuclear power development in the US These include fuel cycle concerns related to waste and proliferation, the need for more efficient regulatory practices, and the high cost of constructing and operating nuclear power plants. Funded at an FY99 level of $2.58M, the SNRC is focusing the efforts of scientists and engineers from the INEEL and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to solve complex nuclear energy challenges in a carefully chosen, integrated portfolio of research topics. The result of this collaboration will be research that serves as a catalyst for future direct-funded nuclear research and technology development and which preserves and enhances the INEEL's role as America's leading national laboratory for nuclear power research. In its first year, the SNRC has focused on four research projects each of which address one or more of the four issues facing further nuclear power development (economics, safety, waste disposition and proliferation-resistance). This Annual Report describes technical work and accomplishments during the first year of the SNRC's existence.

Introduction Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA) - a specialized Arab scientific organization working within the framework of the League of Arab States and dealing with nuclear science and its peaceful applications. The actual work of AAEA began on April 15, 1989. The permanent official headquarters is located in Tunis, Tunisian Republic. The number of Member States is fourteen: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia. AAEA strives to develop joint Arab scientific work, as well as to be involved in international scientific and technological progress in this field. AEEA is interested in raising the scientific and technical awareness of Arab citizens in the field of nuclear sciences and their peaceful uses. In 2024, AAEA in cooperation with the Atomic Energy Agency, organized the XVI Arab Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. Speaking at the conference, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said that the Middle East and North Africa region needs to increase electricity generation capacity by 70% by 2050 to meet the growing demand. Nuclear power is the solution to meet such needs, as a single nuclear power plant can provide energy to countless homes at minimal cost and with low environmental impact. Department of Scientific Activity of AAEA: The Department of Scientific Activity of AAEA includes the work of three divisions and an information and training center. The Division of Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Safety is the key one. The Head of the Division of Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Safety is Professor Dr. Firas Al-Ali. The Division is interested in cooperation on the following issues: protection of people and the ocean from the effects of radiation, reducing the likelihood of accidents, setting standards for the safety and security of nuclear installations and radioactive sources, safe transportation of nuclear materials, creation of a regulatory and legislative framework, radioactive waste management, training and development of specialists, providing expertise and advice to Member States in the field of international treaties. The Department of Scientific Activities also includes the Division of Nuclear Technology and the Division of Life and Environmental Sciences. Scientific and practical activities AAEA for 2025: Arab Atomic Energy Agency and Jordan Atomic Energy Commission in Cooperation with the League of Arab States will hold The Seventh Arab Forum on the Prospects of Nuclear Power for Electricity Generation and Seawater Desalination in December 2025. The importance of the seventh forum comes at a time when some Arab countries, such as the Arab Republic of Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, have made significant progress in establishing their nuclear power programs, while many other Arab countries are considering introducing nuclear energy into their energy diversification strategies. The previous six forums have had a clear and positive impact on raising awareness of nuclear power at both public and decision-making levels. The present forum will enhance Arab cooperation and public understanding on key issues related to nuclear energy. One of the key objectives of the forum is information and experience exchange on national methodologies for the study of nuclear fission and fusion energy to qualify and develop human resources. AAEA also organizes annual training courses. In June 2025, AAEA in cooperation with the Egyptian Atomic Energy Agency, will organize a training course on «Preparedness and response to nuclear and radiation emergencies». Conclusion AAEA is interested in the work on creating a qualitative scientific and technological leap. This fact must be taken into account by specialists in the field of radiation safety of humans and the environment, as this implies the expansion of further cooperation between all stakeholders.

It is of great significance to lay a solid foundation for the ideology of the Chinese nation community and strengthen the organizational training and development of minority students in mainland Chinese universities. Based on the cognitive thinking characteristics and cultural acceptance level of minority students, a research method combining questionnaire surveys and individual interviews was used to investi- gate the development of party members among minority students in a university in Guangdong Province. The research results reflect some objective problems: minority students have a strong will-ingness to join the party but the application rate is low, participation in party training courses is serious but the effectiveness is not satisfactory, and there is a lack of targeted training and inspection for minority student party activists. Therefore, it is necessary to further optimize the education model for minority students, improve the party member training mechanism, and cultivate more polit- ically and ideologically qualified, and professionally competent minority student party members for the further development of socialist construction and national unity and progress.

Public opinion change after the Fukushima nuclear accident: The role of national context revisited

Guangdong Province has taken the lead in embarking on nuclear power development to resolve its dire lack of primary resources. With the deepening of the on-going structural reform in the electric power sector in China, the market competition scheme is putting electricity generation enterprises under severe strain. Consequently, it is incumbent upon the nuclear power producers to steadily upgrade management, enhance technical capabilities, reduce cost and improve efficiency. At present, gradual application of such efficiency evaluation methodology has already commenced in some sectors in China including the electric power industry. The purpose of this paper is to use the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which is a cutting-edge approach in the efficiency evaluation field — to study the technological efficiency between nuclear power and coal power in Guangdong Province. The DEA results demonstrate that, as far as Guangdong Province is concerned, the technological efficiency of nuclear power is higher than that of coal power in terms of Technological Efficiency (TE), Pure Technology Efficiency (PTE) and Scale Efficiency (SE). The reason is that nuclear power technology is advanced with a much higher equipment availability factor. Under the same scale, the generation output of nuclear power is far higher than that of equivalent coal power generation. With the envrionemntal protection and sustainable development requirements taken into full account, nuclear power constitutes a clean, safe and highly-efficient energy form which should be extensively harnessed in Guangdong Province to fuel its future continuing economic growth.