What lies behind public acceptance? Comparison of US and French perceptions of the nuclear power option

A comparative survey on perceptions of issues pertaining to nuclear energy was carried out in the United States of America and in France. In each country, 1500 persons responded to a 155 item questionnaire. France was chosen as a significant country for comparison with the USA in the light of the widespread assumption that the French show higher levels of acceptance for nuclear power production on their territory. The results of the study may be unexpected in this regard. Indeed, the level of concern with regard to nuclear power is highly comparable in France and in the USA. An interesting overall tendency of the French is to overestimate various types of risks compared with respondents in the USA. The most significant differences between the populations are those in the levels of trust in authorities and technical experts, and in the feeling of control over health risks. The explanatory power of these socio-cultural factors for the dynamics of acceptance, their implications for risk management and future research directions are considered. (author). 13 refs, 5 figs.