ABSTRACT
The Fukushima nuclear accident on March 11, 2011, has dampened the prospects for the nuclear industry in some countries and provided fresh arguments and concerns about nuclear power everywhere. It has increased public fear and anxiety about nuclear power plants, and accentuated prior perceptions about radiation and cancer risks. Extensive media coverage of the Japanese nuclear crisis has heightened public concern about the long-term health and environmental effects of nuclear power production. The governments of countries in which the share of nuclear power in total energy production is already high (e.g., France) and others that are planning for a major increase in its share (e.g., China and India) thus face a tremendous challenge allaying public concern about the environmental aspects of nuclear power in the aftermath of Japan's worst nuclear accident.
