Premium
Nuclear Power: Renaissance or Relapse? Global Climate Change and Long‐Term Three Mile Island Activists’ Narratives
Author(s) -
Culley Marci R.,
Angelique Holly
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/s10464-010-9299-8
Subject(s) - narrative , nuclear power , global warming , climate change , functional illiteracy , nuclear weapon , mile , political science , environmental ethics , sociology , geography , law , ecology , philosophy , linguistics , biology , geodesy
Community narratives are increasingly important as people move towards an ecologically sustainable society. Global climate change is a multi‐faceted problem with multiple stakeholders. The voices of affected communities must be heard as we make decisions of global significance. We document the narratives of long‐term anti‐nuclear activists near the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant who speak out in the dawn of a nuclear renaissance/relapse. While nuclear power is marketed as a “green” solution to global warming, their narratives reveal three areas for consideration; (1) significant problems with nuclear technology, (2) lessons “not” learned from the TMI disaster, and (3) hopes for a sustainable future. Nuclear waste, untrustworthy officials and economic issues were among the problems cited. Deceptive shaping of public opinion, nuclear illiteracy, and an aging anti‐nuclear movement were reasons cited for the lessons not learned. However, many remain optimistic and envision increased participation to create an ecologically‐balanced world.