Survey about Chernobyl · Survey about Chernobyl ... The questionnaire for the survey, prepared by the organizers, consisted of ... the real risks due to the use of nuclear power

Survey about Chernobyl

The Internet Forum "25 Years After Chernobyl""Paths towards a Culture of Transnational Remembrance"

April 2011

We often see the results of public opinion surveys on social, political, andeconomic attitudes of the population from a specific area, region, or countrypresented in mass media reflecting the realities on local, national, regional orEuropean level. And we often wonder why the respondents in the sampleresponded so and not otherwise.

From time to time even we respond to such questionnaires on the Internet,on the street, on the telephone, at our office etc. because we want to expressour beliefs on a specific issue. And all of these because we want to believethat our opinion is relevant and that we have something to say.

Usually, the results of public opinion surveys have both supporters anddetractors mainly because they are dealing with social, political, andeconomic issues.

The participants of the project "25 Years After Chernobyl" - "Paths towards aCulture of Transnational Remembrance" proposed a switch from the classicalissues of an opinion survey and conducted a survey on a topic that is alreadypart of recent Europe and worldwide history, but a topic that still hauntsEurope: the Chernobyl accident.

The questionnaire for the survey, prepared by the organizers, consisted ofnine questions dealing with different aspects regarding people’s views on thetopic:

respondents’ personal approach:

o What associations do you have, when you hear the word “Chernobyl”?

o How did the accident affect your personal life / life of your family?

respondents’ background information:

o Where is Chernobyl located?

o When did the accident in Chernobyl happen?

o Which countries were most affected by the contaminated cloud?

the relevance of the event:

o Is it useful to occupy oneself with the accident in Chernobyl today?

o What could be the best manner to deal with Chernobyl today?

o What do you know about the situation in the Chernobyl region today?

the lesson learned:

o What are the most important lessons from Chernobyl?

Each participant conducted a short survey by applying the questionnaire withfive persons, who are old enough to remember the accident and also withfive persons of younger age. Thus, at the end, the survey was conducted in 18European countries and over 350 questionnaires resulted. The respondents’age ranged from 17 to 80 years, 55.14% were female and 44.86% male.

In order to have a clearer image on people’s views on the topic we arepresenting here the results of the survey that was carried out in January andFebruary, both the results on the general population that answered to thesurvey, but also on the subgroups of the general population like thecategories on age (young and adults) and geographical distribution (Easternand Western countries).

26.0%

16.9%

14.6%

8.9%

7.7%

6.3%

6.0%

4.9%

4.9%

3.1%

2.6%

1.4%

explosion

radiation

panic and fear

death

victims

contamination

danger

diseases

tragedy

genetic mutation

lack of information

threat

What associations do you have, when you hear the word “Chernobyl”?

% cumulated

Where is Chernobyl located?

% total respondents

Romania, 0.6%

Poland, 0.6%

Belarus, 4.0%

Russia, 10.0%

ex-Soviet Union

countries, 12.6%

Ukraine, 72.3%

51.4%

41.1%

2.9%

0.6%

0.3%

0.3%

0.3%

3.1%

1986

80's

70's

90's

80's

60's

40's

Don't know

When did the accident in Chernobyl happen?

% total respondents

35.1%

21.1%

16.0%

14.3%

11.4%

4.6%

2.6%

1.7%

1.7%

0.9%

0.9%

46.6%Ukraine

Russia

Belarus

ex-Soviet Union countries

Eastern Europe

Northern Europe

Poland

Czech Republic

Bulgaria

Romania

Hungary

Central Europe

Which countries were most affected by the contaminated cloud?

% cumulated

14.9%

8.3%

5.7%

2.9%

1.7%

1.7%

0.9%

0.9%

0.9%

62.0%

panic

dangerous consequences on health

health disease

the real risks due to the use of nuclearpower plants

negative opinion about the nuclearenergy

risks of use of NPPs

fear

food restrictions

picking mushrooms

no influence

How did the accident affect your personal life / life of your family?

% total respondents

0.0%2.0%

6.3%

21.4%

27.7%

42.6%

1 2 3 4 5 6

Is it useful to occupy oneself with the accident in Chernobyl today?

% total respondents

unimportant important

Average: 5.02

6 5.9 5.83 5.85.6 5.5 5.45

5.25 5.15 5.124.9 4.8 4.7

4.5 4.5 4.354.05 4

Italy

Spain

Rus

sia

Bel

arus

Polan

d

Estoni

a

Ukr

aine

Bul

garia

Switz

erla

nd

Slove

nia

Serbia

Slova

kia

Latvi

a

Cze

chRep

ublic

Rom

ania

Finla

nd

Ger

man

y

Den

mar

k


average per country

25.1%

24.0%

20.0%

18.9%

18.3%

16.3%

12.9%

4.3%

2.9%

2.9%

0.6%

1.1%

0.6%

health care

social initiatives

commemoraton

educational programs

financial support

documentaries

covering the sarcophaque

internet

debates

oral history

multimedia library

memorial

multimedia library

What could be the best manner to deal with Chernobyl today?

% cumulated

41.14%

17.14%

12.29%

8.57%

7.14%

4.29%

2.29%

7.14%

contaminated area

diseases

old people living in the area

toursit attraction

economic problems

real estate opportunity

genetic mutations

don't know

What do you know about the situation in the Chernobyl region today?

% total respondents

don't know, 2.0%

need of emergency

plans, 3.7%

stop using nuclear

energy, 4.0%

use of alternative

sources of energy,

4.6%

example of

collaboration

and solidarity , 14.6%

not to underestimate

the real risks of the

nuclear energy,

17.1%

acting responsible,

19.1%

use of nuclear

energy and its

possible

consequences,

34.9%

What are the most important lessons from Chernobyl?

% total respondents

16.0%

10.3%

8.6%

7.4%

31.4%

21.7%

3.4%

4.6%

6.9%

9.7%

12.0%

25.7%

18.9%

6.3%

1.7%

8.6%

4.6%

4.0%

8.6%

7.4%

13.1%

33.1%

disaster

explosion

panic and fear

radiation

death

tragedy

contamination

danger

victims

genetic mutations

diseases

adults young

What associations do you have, when you hear the word “Chernobyl”?

% cumulated


% adults/young respondents

74.9%

69.7%

8.0%12.0%

14.3%10.9%

2.3%5.7%

0.0%1.1% 0.6% 0.6%

Ukraine Russia ex-Soviet

Union

countries

Belarus Poland Romania

adults young


% Eastern/Western countries respondents

79.7%

46.8%

8.9%

25.3%

7.8%

17.7%

3.0%

7.6%

0.4%1.3%

0.4%1.3%

Ukraine ex-Soviet

Union

countries

Russia Belarus Poland Romania

Eastern countries Western countries

0.6%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.6%

0.6%

0.6%

0.6%

0.6%

5.7%

3.4%

42.9%

52.6%

2.3%

39.4%

50.3%1986

80's

70's

90's

40's

60's

80's

don't know

adults young


% total respondents

0.4%

0.4%

0.4%

0.4%

0.0%

1.3%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

13.9%

2.2%

39.1%

57.2%

5.1%

48.1%

31.7%1986

80's

70's

90's

40's

60's

80's

don't know



% Eastern/Western countries respondents

20.0%

19.4%

13.7%

4.6%

3.4%

2.3%

1.1%

4.6%

12.6%

38.3%

44.0%

2.3%

1.1%

1.7%

10.3%

14.9%

12.6%

22.3%

32.0%

49.1%Ukraine

Russia

Belarus


Eastern Europe

Northern Europe

Poland

Czech Republic

Bulgaria

Romania

adults young


% cumulated

24.4%

13.7%

7.4%

4.8%

3.3%

2.2%

1.9%

7.0%

40.6%

55.0%

3.8%

1.3%

0.7%

1.3%

46.8%

25.3%

16.5%

10.1%

16.5%

22.7%Ukraine

Russia

Belarus

Eastern Europe

Northern Europe


Poland

Czech Republic

Bulgaria

Romania



% cumulated

18.3%

11.4%

6.9%

4.6%

3.4%

1.7%

1.1%

11.4%

5.1%

4.6%

1.1%

0.0%

1.7%

0.6%

49.1%

74.9%

panic

dangerous consequences on

health

health diseases

the real risks due to the use of

nuclear power plants

risks of use of NPPs

negative opinion about the

nuclear energy

picking mushrooms

not affected

adults young

How did the accident affect your personal life / life of your family?

% total respondents

0.0%1.7%

5.1%

20.0%22.9%

50.3%

0.0%2.3%

7.4%

22.9%

32.6%34.9%

1 2 3 4 5 6

adults young


% adults/young respondents


Average adults: 5.19

Average young: 4.90

0.0% 0.7%

5.9%

21.8%

43.5%

0.0%

28.0%

6.3%7.6%

20.3%

26.6%

39.2%

1 2 3 4 5 6



% total respondents


Average Eastern countries: 5.08

Average Western countries: 4.85

27.4%

20.6%

20.0%

18.3%

18.3%

14.9%

14.3%

5.1%

3.4%

3.4%

5.1%

6.9%

22.9%

0.6%

11.4%

17.7%

21.7%

19.4%

22.3%

16.0%

health care

financial support

social initiatives

educational programs

commemoration

documentary

covering the sarcophaque

debates

internet

oral history

adults young

What could be the best manner to deal with Chernobyl today?

% cumulated

42.3%

15.4%

11.4%

10.3%

6.9%

6.3%

1.1%

6.3%

18.9%

13.1%

10.3%

3.4%

8.0%

2.3%

4.0%

40.0%contaminated area

diseases

old people living in the area

economic problems

toursit attraction

real estate opportunity

genetic mutations

don't know

adults young

What do you know about the situation in the Chernobyl region today?

% total respondents

don't know, 2.0%

need of emergency

plans, 2.9%

stop using nuclear

energy, 4.0%

use of alternative

sources of energy,

4.6%

example of

collaboration


example of

collaboration and

solidarity , 16.0%

acting responsible,

24.0%

use of nuclear

energy and its

possible

consequences,

34.3%


% adult respondents

don't know, 2.0%

stop using nuclear

energy, 4.0%

alternative sources

of energy, 4.0%

use of alternative

sources of energy,

4.6%

example of

collaboration


acting responsible,

14.3%

not to underestimate

the real risks of the

nuclear energy,

21.7%

use of nuclear

energy and its

possible

consequences,

35.4%


% young respondents

Documents

Survey about Chernobyl · Survey about Chernobyl ... The questionnaire for the survey, prepared by the organizers, consisted of ... the real risks due to the use of nuclear power