Research Group "Zircon": the number of nuclear power supporters in Russia exceeded the level of 2010

The number of Russians who approve of atomic energy was not only restored after the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011, but also significantly exceeded the indicators of 2010. This is evidenced by the results of the monitoring conducted by the Circon research group since 2008

A survey conducted in May 2012 demonstrated a significant increase in the share of supporters of atomic energy - from 39% to 45%. For the first time during the measurement of the share of approving and not approving the use of nuclear energy as one of the country's energy supply methods, the press release said.

Researchers note that since 2007, all -Russian polls have recorded, although we have a weak, but still positive dynamics of the share of supporters of the use of nuclear energy as a method of providing the country with electricity. In June 2011, the share of Russians who declared their approval of the use of nuclear energy, compared with the previous year, decreased by 11%, reaching a minimum over the past 5 years of measurement. “Of course, this is due to the state of the information field around the well-known events at the Japanese NPP Fukushima-1, a large stream of publications and reports covering the consequences of the accident. As a result, the Russian nuclear energy “lost” almost a third of supporters, ”the press release emphasizes.

Between 2011 and 2012. The voices of the Russians were redistributed almost mirror. If about half of the population adhered to negative assessments a year ago, about a third, today, on the contrary, only less than half of the citizens (46%) believe that the development of AE brings the country more good, while 38% of the survey expressed the opposite opinion.

Thus, if you do not take into account the results of 2011 surveys, the data recorded this year confirm the trend of the last 5 years to increase the number of supporters of the development of atomic energy (by 2-3% annually). This is also consistent with the results of surveys of other research companies (for example, Levada Center).

According to sociologists, one of the reasons for the growth of the number of supporters of atomic energy is that recently nuclear energy is perceived in the public consciousness as a high -tech industry, respectively, its approval reflects the general trend to support high technologies and modernization.

In addition, researchers are added, the information background in relation to the atomic energy itself over the past years has been rather neutral, moreover, in the last year, special efforts have been made to neutralize the consequences of the accident on Fukushima on public opinion. Moreover, recently publications appeared on the decision of the Japanese government to launch the first nuclear power plant after the 2011 disaster and its readiness to "continue to work to restore public confidence in atomic energy and safety measures." It can also contribute to a reduction in negative moods in Russian society.

Do not discount the generational shift, the press release is noted. For an increasing number of Russians, Chernobyl is becoming just a long history, the “memory” of which today no longer affects the attitude to atomic energy.

The study was conducted as part of the All -Russian Omnibus (the Quarter project, June waves). The date of a survey of the last wave of monitoring - from May 24 to May 24, 2012, the survey was held among the population of the Russian Federation according to a national representative sample, 1,600 respondents were interviewed in 140 settlements of 33 constituent entities of the Russian Federation of all federal districts.