Misunderstanding Regarding to Global Warming and Nuclear Power

Abstract

The results of surveys conducted in some developed countries (the United States, Germany, and France) and in Japan showed that approximately 50% of the respondents considered nuclear power generation to be a cause of global warming. Therefore, it is important to investigate why a wide range of people lack the awareness that nuclear power generation is an effective means of preventing global warming and why approximately 50% of people think that nuclear power generation is a cause of global warming. In this research, it was investigated why people think that nuclear power generation is a cause of global warming. Factor analysis method was applied to data obtained from survey at Kansai area in Japan. Using the survey results, people’s awareness structure was analyzed to determine factors behind people’s perception that nuclear power generation is a cause of global warming and to identify ideas preventing people from recognizing nuclear power generation, which emits no carbon dioxide during power generation, as a means of preventing global warming. As a result, the misunderstanding, the thermal discharge and radioactive material etc. produced from a nuclear power plant promotes global warming, has influenced on this issue. It has become evident that behind such misunderstanding is a negative image of nuclear power. This negative image is a factor to decrease the evaluation that nuclear power is useful for preventing global warming regardless of the presence of the misunderstanding. It is believed that the negative image of nuclear power does not lead to direct association of nuclear power generation and global warming, but by the fear that the accident of the nuclear plant brings the environmental destruction, people evaluate that nuclear power generation is not effective for preventing global warming without grounds. Especially, the tendency is very strong in young people.