Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2005

Publication Title

International Symposium on Technology and Society

Publisher

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

First page number:

33

Last page number:

36

Abstract

This paper examines how both opponents and proponents of the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca mountain Nevada claim that uncontroversial information supports their conflicting positions. Four pieces of information in particular are claimed by both sides: the distance of the proposed site from Las Vegas, the volume of waste that has been produced, the threat of terrorism since 9/11/01, and the occurrence of an earthquake in early 2002. Possible explanations for the difference include naive positivism, social constructionism, persistent beliefs and implicit warrants. The latter two models better explain observed knowledge/preference states. If so, more or better information alone will not improve the dialog about Yucca mountain. Rather, dialog should include a discussion of the ways in which they interpret information and draw conclusions based on their beliefs and warrants. This conclusion may be generalized to a range of information-intensive risk decisions.

Keywords

Data interpretation; Decision making; Earthquakes; Implicit warrants; Persistent beliefs; Radioactive waste repositories; Rhetoric; Risk analysis; Terrorism; Yucca Mountain

Disciplines

Nuclear | Oil, Gas, and Energy | Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation | Rhetoric

Language

English

Comments


©2005 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from the IEEE.

Proceedings of the ISTAS 2005 Weapons and Wires: Prevention and Safety in a time of Fear, Los Angeles, CA, June 11-13 2005. IEEE.

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