Nuclear Power

Abstract

This study examined the responses of college students to the construction of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. Acceptance of nuclear power plants correlated negatively with environmentalism and positively with belief in experts' evaluations of the safety of nuclear power plants. Although environmentalism correlated with nuclear power attitudes, these appeared to be separate issues. Environmentalism also correlated with other energy issues, such as energy conservation and burning coal. There was no significant relationship between nuclear power attitudes and self-reported measures of anxiety about aging, dependency, and death. However, nuclear power protesters had lower anxiety scores with regard to dependency issues. The findings are counter to the notion that nuclearpoweropponentsengage in irrational thinking and sufferfrom higher levels of anxiety.