How natural disasters can affect environmental concerns, risk aversion, and even politics: evidence from Fukushima and three European countries

Publication type

Journal Article

Authors

Publication date

October 15, 2015

Summary:

We study the impact of the Fukushima disaster on environmental concerns, well-being, risk aversion, and political preferences in Germany, Switzerland, and the UK. In these countries, overall life satisfaction did not significantly decrease, but the disaster significantly increased environmental concerns among Germans. One underlying mechanism likely operated through the perceived risk of a similar meltdown of domestic reactors. After Fukushima, more Germans considered themselves as “very risk averse.” However, drastic German policy action shut down the oldest reactors, implemented the phase-out of the remaining ones, and proclaimed the transition to renewables. This shift in energy policy contributed to the subsequent decrease in environ-mental concerns, particularly among women, Green party supporters, and people living in close distance to the oldest reactors. In Germany, political support for the Greens increased significantly, whereas in Switzerland and the UK, this increase was limited to people living close to reactors.

Published in

Journal of Population Economics

Volume and page numbers

Volume: 28 , p.1 -1

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00148-015-0558-8

ISSN

9331433

Subjects

#523093

News

Latest findings, new research

Publications search

Search all research by subject and author

Podcasts

Researchers discuss their findings and what they mean for society

Projects

Background and context, methods and data, aims and outputs

Events

Conferences, seminars and workshops

Survey methodology

Specialist research, practice and study

Taking the long view

ISER's annual report

Themes

Key research themes and areas of interest