has a piece with the title A Rebel Filmmaker Tilts Conservative. What conservative tilt is being displayed here? It's Pandora's Promise, a film which serves as a sort apologia for nuclear power from environmentalists concerned about climate change. What confuses me is that I don't understand the specifically conservative tilt here, as I have many friends who evince a nuclear-friendly tilt without seeming politically conservative. Perhaps a generation ago anti-nuclear sentiment was strongly ideological colored, but more recently there has been a boomlet on the enviro-Left in favor of nuclear energy. The GSS has two variables which query this issue crossed with ideology rather well. Here's the query so you can replicate: Row: NUKEELEC NUKEGEN Column: POLVIEWS(r:1-3"Liberal";4"Moderate";5-7"Conservative") Selection filter(s): year(2010-*)
The New York Times
As you can see liberals do tend to be more skeptical of nuclear energy, but it is not stark. In fact, attitudes toward nuclear power seem to be as strongly, if not more so, variant on a populist vs. elite axis than conventional ideology. Here's the second question replicated for education:
Views on nuclear energy N ~ 400
LibModCons
Strongly favor161312
Favor495064
Oppose282716
Strongly oppose798
Nuclear power dangerous to the environment N ~ 1300
LibModCons
Extremely dangerous262316
Very dangerous252923
Somewhat dangerous333231
Not very dangerous141322
Not dangerous338
But, when you look only at college educated individuals the ideology divide doesn't go away. In fact, it seems more extreme.
Nuclear power dangerous to the environment N ~ 1300
No collegeCollege
Extremely dangerous2611
Very dangerous2721
Somewhat dangerous3134
Not very dangerous1128
Not dangerous47
That's strong circumstantial evidence that the gap here is one of cultural norms and values, and not facts.
Nuclear power dangerous to the environment N ~ 370
College educated only
LibModCons
Extremely dangerous14165
Very dangerous282214
Somewhat dangerous383528
Not very dangerous152442
Not dangerous5411
