The nuclear disaster in Japan has triggered a strong response among Americans, a majority of whom would freeze new nuclear power construction, stop additional federal loan guarantees for reactors, shift away from nuclear power and toward wind and solar power, and eliminate the indemnification of the nuclear power industry from most post-disaster clean up costs.
These findings were uncovered by a new survey conducted by ORC International for the nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute (CSI).
Conducted March 15-16, the national opinion survey of 814 Americans also found the following:
Over half (53%) of Americans would now support "a moratorium on new nuclear reactor construction in the United States," if "increased energy efficiency and off-the-shelf renewable technologies such as wind and solar could meet our energy demands for the near term."
A total of 73% of Americans do not "think taxpayers should take on the risk for the construction of new nuclear power reactors in the United States through billions of dollars in new federal loan guarantees." Additionally, 74% of Americans would support "a shift of federal loan-guarantee support for energy away from nuclear reactors" in favor of wind and solar power.
Over three out of four (76%) Americans say they are now "more supportive than … a month ago to using clean renewable energy resources - such as wind and solar - and increased energy efficiency as an alternative to more nuclear power in the United States." In fact, nearly half (46%) of all Americans now say they are now "much more supportive" of relying on more clean energy and energy efficiency than they were a month ago.
"The Japanese crisis is an opportunity for America to make smarter choices about energy, and that process should start with a recognition that the problems with nuclear power cannot simply be ignored in the wake of the tragedy at Fukushima," says Pam Solo, founder and president of CSI.
SOURCE: Civil Society Institute
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