Why, if scientists say nuclear power is safe, do we disbelieve them?

Question

Yet when they talk about the certainty of global warming they become untouchable Gods?

Answer 1

Because humans tend to overestimate danger.

Nuclear power has proven itself to be relatively clean and safe - but it is absolutely true that if it were to go wrong, it would go badly wrong. And this "badly wrong" danger is what leads us to regard nuclear power as too "risky", and to disbelieve the scientists.

Global Warming OTOH is already dangerous, if it is happening. So we overestimate the danger of it, and therefore believe the scientists when they tell us that it's happening.

FWIW and IMO - I think that global warming is a more eminent danger than nuclear power. I'm not happy about using nuclear power (I'd rather explore other alternative energy sources), but I think we've left this one too late, and will *need* to get more nuclear power in order to save us from ecological catastrophe while we continue to develop other renewable energy sources.

Answer 2

I don't (disbelieve them)

Answer 3

B/c scientists and engineers... don't deny the dangers of nuclear power.  

A lot of problems are too complex in nature to be model by equations that give us exact answers.  So, scientists and engineers deal with statistics... probabilities to do the modeling.

Well, people don't like statistics.  Mostly, people wants absolute and certain answers.   They want to find reason why things happen or do what they do.  Nothing wrong with that... that's part of discovery, but when do it to the extent to where you lose sight of your objective... it's useless.  

When you making decisions and stuff, statistics gives you more options to weigh... well that's a lot of work.  And if you don't know statistics well... its even harder to weigh the risks in your decision.  And people don't like that.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know the climate is changing... older people have notice this for sure by weather patterns and stuff.  And these days I am sure you feel that the weather is well... just odd feeling.  When a bunch of scientists say hey it's global warming, people believe them b/c they know from personal experience that the weather is off.

With nuclear, people don't have any experience... mostly just fear and uncertainty...  Anti-Nuclear propaganda feeds off that b/c they center their scientific argument around that nuclear is an uncontrollable and unpredictable technology.

Most people haven't experienced positive benefits of nuclear technology... or haven't notice it... so it's harder for them to connect... when scientists say... it's a good safe technology.

Answer 4

I don't disbelieve them! They do not deny the dangers of nuclear power, just put them into context and point out that nuclear power is A solution worthy of consideration.

Answer 5

Nuclear power is a safe alternative to fossil fuels. However, if someone flies an airliner into one thy're not so safe. As for global warming, who says I believe them?

Answer 6

nucler  power produces uber toxic waste so its not very helpful =) yee :P its like...more harmful to d environment..

when it comes to global warming...i dunno

Answer 7

well people disbelieved them when they said the world wasn't flat, and when they said earth is not the center of the universe and so on...so why not beleive them

Answer 8

Obviously you don't actually have any trouble disbelieving us on the global warming issue either.

Answer 9

Global warming: Happening but not our fault.

Nuclear power: no one likes it coz they're scared of a chernobyl type thing happening again, even though it won't.

Answer 10

It depends if you believe in objective scientific evidence that can be repeated by others and shown tobe true, or if you like to decide on what you think and then select the facts to believe and ignore in order to make your choice look rational.

The first is the disinterested (ie objective) pursuit of knowledge and the second nothing to do with finding out the truth.