Green at fifteen?

Canadian teens, like their counterparts in many other industrialized countries, are fairly knowledgeable about energy and environmental issues but the results of a just-published international study suggest that their educational systems have some room for improvement.

The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted an extensive survey in 2006 of 15-year-olds in the 30 OECD countries, including Canada, as well 27 other countries and economic regions.

“Overall, the PISA tests showed widespread awareness among teenagers about environmental issues, coupled with a sense of responsibility and optimism,” the OECD says in the 117-page report. “But the results also showed variations in competence in environmental science . . . and a lack of realistic appreciation on the part of students doing poorly in this area of the effort and time needed to address environmental problems.

 ”If, as tomorrow’s voters and taxpayers, they remain unconvinced of the scale of the challenges . . . they will be unlikely to be ready to bear the cost of forward-looking investments in these areas.”

The OECD’s Secretary General, Angel Gurria, who was Mexico’s foreign minister in the late 1990s, said the public’s actions and attitudes will determine whether the world successfully addresses unprecedented risks to the global environment.

“This survey shows that in many countries and social groups, awareness is high but levels of knowledge and understanding need to be raised,” he said. “Without this, there is a risk that ignorance will lead to complacency and inaction.”

On average, close to 20 per cent of students in OECD countries were able to tackle the hardest environment-related science questions, such as finding alternative explanations for the increase of CO2 emissions and global warming. In Canada, more than 25 per cent answered the question correctly.

Nearly all Canadian students, some 99 per cent, said they were familiar with or knew something about air pollution, compared with 90 per cent who had the same awareness of energy shortages. Asked whether they felt that air pollution and energy shortages were serious concerns personally or for other Canadians, the responses were 93 and 80 per cent in the affirmative. 

While students with a good grasp of environmental science felt better informed about complex environmental issues, they were also less optimistic than their peers that things will improve in the future. Within the OECD overall, only 16 per cent felt that air pollution would improve over the next 20 years while 23 per cent expected energy shortages to be less problematic. That optimism was even less pronounced in Canada with 13 per cent expecting air pollution to improve and 17 per cent expecting fewer energy shortages. The respective U.S. percentages were 21 and 26.

An educational opportunity?

Nuclear gets a nod

Canadian Nuclear Association Annual Conference Report 4

For all that it’s a key component of Canada’s economic health, energy evidently is not a “top of mind” issue nationally, according to a brand-new opinion Ipsos poll commissioned by the Canadian Nuclear Association.

 

However, in presenting his findings at the latest CNA conference and trade show, John Wright, senior vice-president of Ipsos Public Affairs, explained that the national perspective overshadows significant regional awareness of energy issues in general and nuclear power in particular.

The Ipsos research tracks overall attitudes about nuclear energy in Canada for at least two decades and the latest poll of 2,200 Canadians, which has margin of error of +/-2.1 per cent, was completed February 17.

Nibbling through the polling data for an attentive audience, Wright noted that the economy topped the list of concerns at 65 per cent of those polled. Government politics trailed a distance second at 27 per cent, fixing health care was third at 19 per cent, followed by environmental protection at 13 per cent, unemployment at 12 per cent, social issues such as poverty at five per cent, and education at four per cent. International affairs rounded out the list of specified concern at a lowly three percent.

But energy was clearly “not on the radar screen at the moment”, at least as far as national issues were concerned, but it was significantly different at a regional level, particularly in those provinces with large energy resources or contemplating development.

Energy popped up in sixth place with 13 per cent awareness when respondents were asked about provincial issues. That trailed the economy (30 per cent), health care (29 per cent), environment (18 per cent), jobs/unemployment (16 per cent), and education/schools (14 per cent).

Asked whether they felt there was enough electricity in their provinces to meet future needs, 55 per cent of the national sample agreed “strongly” or “somewhat.” Quebec, with its abundant hydroelectric resources, topped that list at 83 per cent while confidence was lowest in Ontario at 43 per cent.

Conservation often is touted as a panacea for growth energy demand, but fully 63 per cent of the national sample were concerned that wouldn’t be enough, the corollary being that more energy production had to be put on line. The fundamental pessimism was widely shared across the country, ranging from 59 per cent in Ontario to 68 per cent in Quebec.

When it came to choosing ways to supplement energy supplies, 97 per cent preferred solar power while 95 per cent would opt for wind generation, 91 per cent hydro, 75 per cent natural gas, 48 per cent nuclear and 24 per cent coal.

The poll results showed that support for nuclear power has been steady compared with other sources, prompting Wright to declare that “the workhorse is nuclear power” even though opinion remains deeply divided with 16 per cent of the national sample “very much in favour” and 28 per cent “very much against.

Support is understandably highest in Ontario, which has the largest number of power reactors in the country, but Wright said that the current level of 67 per cent is likely the ceiling. The only times it has lagged has tended to be when there are reactor-specific issues such as units being taken off-line for upgrading and refurbishing (U&R). That has been the case for much of Ontario’s nuclear capacity, where U&R costs tended to balloon beyond initial estimates and the time needed to do the work meant that generating capacity was off-line for extended period.

U&R of current reactors was clearly preferred over construction of new units in the latest polls, 67 per cent against 49 per cent. In Ontario, although support for U&R has consistently been near or above 70 per cent, a vocal minority has been building in recent years. Support for added capacity in the form of new reactors also has been highest in Ontario.

The good news for the CNA and its myriad suppliers is that 38 per cent of Canadians in the latest poll feel that nuclear energy should play more of a role, bolstered by 35 per cent like the status quo — a total of 73 per cent. And while critics obviously don’t want to hear it, that generally positive image is reflected right across the country.

Wright attributed the continued support to renewed public confidence” in the fundamental safety of the Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. unpressurized heavy-water reactors which have been the unit of choice for Canadian utilities. He suggested that once the public is given all the information – not just the naysayers’ claims – it will tend to come down on nuclear’s side.

“Support nationally rose by 10 points after they’d heard all the arguments for and against,” he said, adding that the “hard” opposition has been diminishing. “The public opinion battle has already been won in key constituencies,” he said.

Even so, he urged the industry to maintain a “steady drumbeat of dialogue and communication” with the public to ensure that investments today in nuclear power will help to address any concerns about security of energy supply while improving the Canadian energy network’s reliability and environmental records. “Nuclear will always be an important part of our energy mix,” he said.

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EXPLORING POSSIBILITIES The Canadian Nuclear Association recently launched a new nuclear science technology website for Grade 9-12 students. The learning modules have been developed respecting the Pan Canadian Framework guidelines and provincial curriculum requirements for teachers in general science, environmental science, biology, physics, chemistry, geography, history, social studies and world issues.

The modules focus on eight key areas including: Canada’s Nuclear History, Atomic Theory, What is Radiation?, Biological Effects of Radiation, World Energy Sources, Nuclear Technology at Work, Safety in the Nuclear Industry and Career information.

The new materials help students and teachers examine the science and issues related to nuclear technology. Included are more than 50 lesson plans, classroom activities, project descriptions and questions and answer sheets to support teaching and learning.