Public Opinion about Nuclear Energy - Year 2013 Poll

Public information is one of the important activities of the Nuclear Training Centre at the Jozef Stefan Institute. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Information Centre that was established within the Nuclear Training Centre to inform the visitors about nuclear power and nuclear technology in general and about Krsko Nuclear Power Plant. The main target group of information activity are schoolchildren with their teachers. Most of them are from the 8th and 9th grade of elementary school, age 14 to 15. Every year up to 8000 youngsters visit the Information Centre. The visit consists of a live lecture about nuclear technology followed by the demonstration of radioactivity and a guided tour of permanent exhibition. Since 1993 we monitor the opinion trends by polling about 1000 youngsters every year. The youngsters are polled before they listen to the lecture or visit the exhibition in order to obtain their opinion based on the knowledge from everyday life. Poll results show rather poor comprehension of nuclear energy, radiation and radioactive waste. 49% of youngsters think that it would be difficult to replace NPP Krsko with other sources while 38% think it possible. More youngsters are in favor of the second unit of NPP Krsko than against it.