Taiwan's Antinuclear Movement in the Wake of the Fukushima Disaster, Viewed from an STS Perspective

After a brief summary of the rise of Taiwan's antinuclear movement, the author of this article investigates the differences between the public reaction to the Fukushima disaster in Taiwan and in Europe, using the tools provided by the study of the public perception of risk. Though most people are fully aware of the dangers presented by nuclear technology, they remain susceptible to the economic ideology continuously promoted by both the state and economic organizations. Lacking organizational strength and large resources, civil groups cannot compete and seldom reshape public perceptions. In spite of heightened public anxieties following the meltdown in Fukushima, their efforts to reform Taiwan's nuclear policy have achieved limited results.