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Natural Disaster, Environmental Concerns, Well-Being and Policy Action

Author

Listed:
  • Jan Goebel
  • Christian Krekel
  • Tim Tiefenbach
  • Nicholas R. Ziebarth
Abstract
We study the impact of the Fukushima disaster on environmental concerns and well†being in Germany and other industrialized countries, more than 5,000 miles distant. While we do not find evidence that subjective well†being was significantly affected — not in Germany, Switzerland, or the UK — the disaster significantly increased environmental concerns by about 20% among Germans. Empirical evidence suggests that the operating channel through which the disaster affected environmental concerns was primarily through the perceived risk of a similar meltdown of domestic reactors. Additionally, more Germans considered themselves as very risk averse after Fukushima. Drastic policy action in Germany permanently shut down the oldest reactors, implemented the phase†out of the remaining ones, and proclaimed the transition to renewables. This energy policy turnaround was largely supported by the German population and contributed to the subsequent significant decrease in environmental concerns, particularly among women, Green Party supporters, and people living close to the oldest reactors.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan Goebel & Christian Krekel & Tim Tiefenbach & Nicholas R. Ziebarth, 2014. "Natural Disaster, Environmental Concerns, Well-Being and Policy Action," CINCH Working Paper Series 1405, Universitaet Duisburg-Essen, Competent in Competition and Health.
    • Handle: RePEc:duh:wpaper:1405
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    6. Huhtala, Anni & Remes, Piia, 2016. "Dimming Hopes for Nuclear Power: Quantifying the Social Costs of Perceptions of Risks," Working Papers 57, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    7. Binder, Martin & Blankenberg, Ann-Kathrin, 2016. "Environmental concerns, volunteering and subjective well-being: Antecedents and outcomes of environmental activism in Germany," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-16.
    8. Fischer, Martin & Karlsson, Martin & Prodromidis, Nikolaos, 2021. "Long‐term Effects of Hospital Deliveries," CINCH Working Paper Series (since 2020) 74712, Duisburg-Essen University Library, DuEPublico.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fukushima; meltdown; well-being; environmental concerns; SOEP;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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