Can Political Trust Weaken the Relationship between Perceived Environmental Threats and Perceived Nuclear Threats? Evidence from South Korea.

Jaeyoung Lim,Kuk-Kyoung Moon

doi:10.3390/ijerph18189816

Abstract

As environmental movements rage, how to handle nuclear power plants has become a hotly contested issue globally. While concerns about nuclear power plants are warranted, nuclear power plants may play a crucial role in climate change discourse. In this context, this study examines the connections between individuals’ perceived environmental threats and their perceptions of the environmental threats posed by nuclear power plants (perceived nuclear threats). In particular, the study explores whether such connections are moderated by individuals’ level of political trust, such that political trust helps weaken perceptions of threats individuals may feel from nuclear power plants. Using the 2014 Korean General Social Survey and ordered probit, this study confirmed that individuals’ perceived environmental threats were positively associated with their perceived nuclear threats. Additionally, individuals with a high level of trust in the government can help alleviate the positive link between individuals’ perceived environmental threats and perceived nuclear threats.

Highlights

Public Health 2021, 18, 9816. https://Countries around the world have experienced environmental calamities in recent years
Nuclear energy undeniably possesses the advantage over renewable energy of providing stable power [5,45] in many countries, while being a better alternative to fossil fuels for environmental sustainability
The study probed whether that link is moderated by individuals’ level of trust in the government so that individuals with a greater perceived level of political trust may find environmental threats posed by nuclear power plants less menacing

Summary

Introduction

Public Health 2021, 18, 9816. https://Countries around the world have experienced environmental calamities in recent years. Nuclear energy is considered to mitigate the impact of climate change [5]. Several factors, such as the Windscale fire in England, Three Mile Island in the United States, Chernobyl in the former USSR and Fukushima in Japan, have increased concerns about nuclear energy’s dangers [6,7], increased the popularity of renewable energy sources [5] and led to the emergence of environmental movements against nuclear energy [5] that have combined into serious resistance against nuclear power plants. Compared to fossil energy sources, nuclear energy remains vital to mitigate climate change’s harmful effects [5,8].

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion