Nuclear Power and American Views

So my research begins with a look at the nuclear power plant disasters of the world, starting with Chernobyl, Fukushima, and, more closely related to the U.S., Three mile Island along with the concerns about Browns Ferry. Having a brief knowledge of these events, I easily came across the research question of: How does the media cover nuclear problems, how does the American culture react to nuclear disasters across the world, and how does it change the way Americans view nuclear power?

I started my research on a.v.l. reading this first article called The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, considering that it is a primary source, that came up about the change in media coverage of nuclear accidents and radiation. On this website i found that news reporters actually had no idea how to publish news about nuclear disasters because they didn't have a clue on what to report and how to report it, since there were not educated in the area of nuclear power. So they had to be careful about describing potential health effects and to overcome this, reporters used the practice of explanations and comparisons. In this way, by explaining and comparing, it was up to the people to decide what information to take from the news coverage. During the Three Mile Island accident, reporters looked to scientists and medical writers for their information as they didn't know what questions to ask to learn about the factors of a nuclear plant meltdown. Although many reporters were on the scene, most people still got their information from newspapers like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and The Los Angles Times. Much like Chernobyl, reporters had a hard time conveying the importance of the radiation levels of the spill since they didn't know at which level it was "safe". Unlike Three Mile Island, reporters couldn't get a first extensive report out until 10 days after the event. Fukushima, however, was a different case where the internet was used to relay information globally. Newspapers such as The New York Times and Los Angles Times had created websites which made it very easy for the people to view information of the crisis. In conclusion, information on large-scale nuclear disasters had changed since Three mile Island and its mediocre analysis to Fukushima and its incredible global speed of relaying information about every aspect of the disaster.

Searching deeper into the American Reactions after the Chernobyl accident, i found an article called "A nuclear power advocate reflects on Chernobyl." From this article, i learned that in 1986, after the Chernobyl explosion, 78% of the American population was against nuclear power. Americans tightened their grip on the safety of nuclear power plants since the wake of Three Mile Island; Operating procedures have been modified, the Institute for Nuclear Power Operation is in full gear, and various pieces of hardware have been improved. American society has learned much from Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. We now have a fuller appreciation of what might happen if the containment is breached and a hydrogen explosion occurs in a high-powered reactor.

Later searching for the effects that The Three Mile Island accident had on American culture, I came across a New York Times article. It states that all nuclear power industries were stopped in their tracks after Three Mile Island accident. The American public had lost all credibility in its nuclear power capabilities. Rest of the information here was basically an overload of the nuclear accident's analysis. Searching along, i found another article published by M.I.T. confirming that American nuclear power plants are being inspected after Fukushima and are upgraded to prevent accidents like the one in Fukushima. I also found a couple of articles that, in simplest terms, explain that T.V.A. is working hard to inspect the Browns Ferry plant from top to bottom to find and eliminate any and all errors so that the plant can go back to its fully operational state.

More on the topic of Fukushima and American views on nuclear power, i found a website called Christian Science Monitor which seemed fairly reliable. Here, I learned that before Fukushima, American public support for building nuclear power plants plants hit an all-time high. However, after Fukushima, the majority of Americans favor halting the new federal loan guarantees to support reactor construction. Americans say that they would support nuclear energy more if it were safer, increased energy efficiency and off-the-shelf- renewable technologies such as wind and solar. I also found this website on CNN that confirms that ""Attitudes toward nuclear power in the U.S. are more positive than they were after Chernobyl in 1986, when only 45 percent approved of nuclear energy plants, or Three Mile Island in 1979, when 53 percent approved of nuclear energy and the number who said nuclear plants were not safe was 10 points higher than today," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland."

The video above is just another piece of information that enable someone to understand where America stands with the question of nuclear power and plants along with their safety. I believe that, in conclusion, the media has taken a large step in their efforts to understand and relay information to the citizens without confusing themselves or others. Although it was a subject that most people didn't understand well, reporters took a giant leap into the mind-boggling world of nuclear energy and crisis's. I learned that American culture panics, like all other cultures, about their own safety and security and in times of nuclear disasters. Within that panicking moment, the best idea that seems suitable is the idea of not having any nuclear plants. Although there are horrible side effects to nuclear disasters, reactor explosions have a likelihood of occurring once in 250 reactor years. Finally, also stated in the video, i learned that American views on nuclear energy have not change while the use of nuclear power plants have fluctuated since the Three Mile Island incident. Overall, as long as the public does not encounter problems with nuclear power plants, It is safe to say that nuclear energy is supported by most people.