Public acceptance – is there any progress?

In last month's article ('The world nuclear industry - is it in terminal decline?'), I attempted to pick holes in a very comprehensive but negative report on the industry's prospects from the more sophisticated end of the anti-nuclear movement. I often feel that anti-nuclear advocates have one of the easiest jobs in the world; it isn't too difficult to produce a lot of arguments, backed by seemingly-credible information, casting the nuclear sector in a poor light. And in contrast to the claim that the industry forces stacked against them are very rich and powerful, their nuclear nemeses have (often inadvertently) helped the antinuclear cause.
[Cartoon: The Unit by Alexey Kovynev]
Certainly the decision apparently made by Greenpeace in its early days to make nuclear the prime target in its campaigns against the failings of the modern world (as opposed to private road transport) was a very astute one. (It is interesting to note, however, that the Greens are now more focused on opposing coal-fired generating stations and developments of unconventional gas fields by "fracking"). So far as nuclear in Europe and North America is concerned, there is clearly a feeling of great confidence among anti-nukes that the game is up for nuclear and it is only a matter of time before the renegades follow Germany into the land of milk and honey. This feeling of great confidence leaps out from the pages of the aforementioned report. News that the EPR at Olkiluoto 3 in Finland will now not come into operation until 2018, 13 years after the construction start, fits in beautifully with its message. Given the industry's rotten record on reactor construction outside of Asia, it wouldn't be difficult to argue that even this date will most probably be exceeded.
During the first half of 2012, I devoted four successive articles to dissecting the public acceptance of nuclear, culminating in June 2012 in some suggestions as to how the situation could be improved. One year after the Fukushima accident, this seemed a very appropriate exercise. Now, an additional two years on, it seems a good time to review if any progress has been made. Given the constant stream of bad news coming out of Fukushima and projects such as the Olkiluoto debacle, one is tempted immediately to say "no", but it's worthwhile to consider this further.


http://www.neimagazine.com/opinion/opinionpublic-acceptance-is-there-any-progress-4425230/