United States: Poll Shows Americans Believe Nuclear Power Plants are "Somewhat Safe"
In the wake of the massive earthquake that rocked Japan and resulted in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, Harris Interactive conducted a poll to see how Americans feel about nuclear energy.
Of the 2,090 adults polled between March 23-25, 2011, the majority (34%) feel that nuclear power generation is somewhat safe. This number reflects a slight increase from a 2008 poll.
When asked if "the type of accidents that have happened to the nuclear power plants in Japan could happen in the US," 73% either somewhat agreed (39%) or strongly agreed (34%).
Though President Obama continues to assure that U.S. nuclear power is safe and that he will continue to support building the "next generation" of nuclear power plants, the poll discovered a country split in opinion on such a decision. According to Harris Interactive, 41% agree with the President and support new nuclear power plants, while 39% do not.
One factor that remains clear is there are more questions to be answered when it comes to the safety of nuclear power generation.
Image Credit: HeyRocker via Flickr
Joseph Baker is a freelance writer living in Vancouver BC. His areas of focus include renewable energy, sustainability and climate change.
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