RAPID Proposal: The Impact of the BP Oil Spill on Views towards Nuclear Energy

University South Carolina Research Foundation, Columbia SC

Investigators

Abstract

This research assesses the degree to which the British Petroleum oil spill has had an impact on how Americans view nuclear energy. The study will follow-up with 500 survey respondents who took part in a late March 2010 survey about nuclear energy. While the original survey was not intended to include a second wave, the oil spill has created the opportunity for a natural experiment. One possibility is that the oil spill has increased support for non-petroleum based sources of energy by making nuclear energy seem relatively less risky and by making decision makers involved in nuclear energy seem relatively more responsible. A second possibility is that the oil spill will has decreased support for nuclear energy by increasing the risk that Americans associate with complex technical systems such as those involved in nuclear energy and by making decision makers involved in the overall energy industry seem less responsible. The research explores both possibilities as well as questions about the role of media use and survey question order. The work builds on this unique opportunity by grounding itself in contemporary research and theory related to the impact of framing and fairness perceptions. The broader impact of this research will be realized through its efforts to integrate research and advance discovery in the area of the public opinion dynamics underlying views about energy alternatives. The findings will inform collaboration with other organizations involved in current debates about energy alternatives.