Anti-nuclear movements in the US, Europe, and Asia

This chapter focuses on protests against nuclear energy for civilian uses in the US, Europe, and Asia. It analyzes protests against government nuclear energy plans and policies. For Europe, it compares policy outcomes, explains the counterintuitive French case, and highlights the Swedish and German policy reversals, while for the Asian continent, it offers a comparative case study of Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The text stresses such explanatory factors as the dependence of a country on nuclear and other energy sources for its electricity supply; political party, government, and public views on nuclear energy; anti-nuclear mobilization; institutional contestation opportunities; and nuclear power plant (NPP) accidents. The introduction sets anti-nuclear protests in the global context of the NPP construction. The text also highlights past and contemporary theoretical developments, pinpointing some research gaps and outlining paths for future research.

Geography · Political science · Nuclear and radioactivity studies · Nuclear Issues and Defense · Risk Perception and Management