Nuclear futures : assessing public attitudes to new nuclear power.

Abstract

The nuclear debate has become once again a ‘live’ policy issue in UK national politics, with far-reaching implications for a diverse range of stakeholders. There is now a new policy rationale for the consideration of new-build nuclear power in the context of climate change and a low carbon economy. In a rapidly evolving public policy context there is a strategic need for a clearer picture of public and community perceptions of nuclear power and wider community issues, and for examining whether such insight can be integrated into policy and decision-making processes. The paper explores the state of public and community perceptions of nuclear power in Britain, at several levels, assessing potential factors likely to govern future responses to nuclear power.