Public perception of environmental and technological risks: sociological exploration of the attitudes of Lithuanian society

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore public attitudes towards technological and environmental risk issues in Lithuania. These risk issues are analyzed in the broader context of other economic and social problems. The focus in this paper is on the perception of risks concerning nuclear power, climate change, and genetically modified organisms. The paper is based on results of empirical research conducted by the authors in the
framework of the research project RINOVA (Risk Perceptions, Public Communication and Innovative Governance in Knowledge Society) funded by the Lithuanian Science and Studies Foundation. The research methodology is based on a representative public opinion survey carried out in 2008 and 2009. The research findings are presented by four main dimensions: evaluation of social and environmental problems; attitudes towards nuclear power, climate change, and GMOs. According to Beck’s theory of global risk society (1992), environmental risks are dominant in contemporary societies; nevertheless, empirical data of this research show that Lithuanian society prioritizes economic and social problems over environmental ones, as well as local over global. Data also revealed an optimistic bias in risk perceptions in the three analyzed fields of risk – climate change, nuclear power, and GMOs, as personal threats are perceived as lower than local and global risks.