The Combined Impact of Attention to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Environmental Worldview on Views About Nuclear Energy

Abstract

A two-wave panel study with data collected before and after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill was used to assess whether the accident changed views toward nuclear energy, a non–fossil fuel energy alternative. While the spill appears to have had little impact on mean attitudes toward nuclear energy, an interaction between environmental worldview and attention to oil spill news suggests the importance of exploring conditional relationships. Specifically, modeling suggests that only those without relatively pro-environmental worldviews became more positive about nuclear energy and nuclear decision makers when they paid more attention to oil spill news.