Your thoughts on nuclear energy? ISU and INL are giving away gift cards to find out
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POCATELLO — Research teams at Idaho State University in Pocatello and Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls want to survey east Idahoans to find out their knowledge, opinions, and values when it comes to nuclear energy and preparedness.
To do it, they have created this survey, and are asking for as many participants as they can get.
To help motivate the community, everyone who fully completes the survey will be entered to win one of 100 $20 Amazon gift cards. Participants must be over 18, and the survey is meant to cover all counties in eastern Idaho.
“When we’re talking about nuclear energy, the scientists and the general public haven’t talked much,” Irene van Woerden, Assistant Professor and statistician at ISU explained. “I just want the data and to report … the current situation.”
The survey takes 15 to 20 minutes and asks for demographic and geographic information. It also asks questions relating to the understanding of nuclear energy and to gauge perceptions and attitudes on its pros and cons and how it could affect the local community. Additionally, the survey asks about resident’s emergency preparedness plans and questions related to global warming, the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters.
Rae Moss, the director of Communications and Outreach at the INL, explained that they are also interested in knowing who the public trusts to get their information from.
“That’s really interesting to us because we put out information on research we do and a variety of different things,” she told EastIdahoNews.com. “It’s really helpful for us to know what people trust.”
The survey is expected to run through early summer, but the goal is to reach many people throughout all of eastern Idaho’s counties, and to see what areas may be wanting more information.
“The geographical location is really a big part of the survey. It’s not that we just want people from Idaho Falls,” van Woerden explained. “We really want people from all of the zip codes so we can really start to see how your perception, your house, your community and individual preparedness (are different in) these different zip codes.”
The survey can be taken here. More information on the research can be found here.