Social Acceptance of Nuclear Power in Norway

Abstract

Abstract

This study’s goal is to map what affects the Norwegian social acceptance of nuclear power in Norway. It will also look at what consequences the results can have on future power production in Norway. The study will highlight some measures that could increase and decrease the social acceptance of nuclear power.

This study explores 4 topics extracted from the analysis of the interview data.

* How the not-in-my-backyard mentality makes people's opinions change with distance. * What sources there are for outdated knowledge and misinformation and how it affects people's view. * How people’s sentiment is affected by Norway’s traditions, culture, and history, and how it creates bias. * The exploration of people’s prejudgment of risk, and how different measures can influence the perception of risk and benefit.

This study utilizes a qualitative method. Eight respondents were interviewed to gather data. The respondents are Norwegian citizens without any nuclear power experience. They act as representatives of the Norwegian people. There has been a focus on making sure that the respondents are well-suited to represent people across the country. The respondents were chosen based on gender, location, and age. The data was processed through thematic analysis. The data was first coded and then sorted into themes. The results show that most of the respondents are increasingly skeptical of nuclear power the closer they live to a planned power plant site. The results also show that the information the respondents base their answers on often is wrong or outdated, but that it does not necessarily make them less willing to make decisions. Norway’s traditions and culture create a bias when identifying and weighing the consequences of power-generating technologies. And how risk-benefit can be influenced by public communication and how the perception of risk-benefit affects public acceptance.