Issue Watch
Track global public opinion on current issues.
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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Americans Divided on Nuclear Power Plants
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in the United States are split over the use of atomic energy, according to a poll by the New York Times and CBS News. 45 per cent of respondents approve of building more nuclear power plants to generate electricity, while 47 per cent disapprove.
When respondents are asked if they would consent to a nuclear power plant being built in their community, disapproval rises to 59 per cent.
More than 100 nuclear reactors supply close to 20 per cent of the electricity used in the U.S. In May 2005, U.S. president George W. Bush pushed for the construction of new reactors, saying, "America has not ordered a nuclear power plant since the 1970s. France, by contrast, has built 58 plants in the same period. And today, France gets more than 78 percent of its electricity from nuclear power. In order to make sure you get electricity at reasonable prices, and in order to make sure our air remains clean, it is time for us to start building some nuclear power plants in America."
On Apr. 27, Bush linked atomic energy with the fight against global warming, declaring, "The truth of the matter is, if people really want to solve the issue of greenhouse gases, civilian nuclear power, powering our energy grids by nuclear power is the best alternative available. We can work on new technologies through our joint nuclear energy action plan and through the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership to bring technologies on the market as quickly as possible to assure people that we can deal with the waste, for example, in a responsible way."
Polling Data
Would you approve or disapprove of building more nuclear power plants to generate electricity?"
Approve | 45% |
Disapprove | 47% |
Unsure | 8% |
Would you approve or disapprove if a nuclear power plant to generate electricity is built in your community?
Approve | 36% |
Disapprove | 59% |
Unsure | 5% |
Source: New York Times / CBS News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,052 American adults, conducted from Apr. 20 to Apr. 24, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.