Nuclear Energy in the Public Sphere: Anti-Nuclear Movements vs. Industrial Lobbies in Spain (1962–1979)

Abstract

Abstract:This article examines the role of the Spanish Atomic Forum as the representative of the nuclear sector in the public arena during the golden years of the nuclear power industry from the 1960s to 1970s. It focuses on the public image concerns of the Spanish nuclear lobby and the subsequent information campaigns launched during the late 1970s to counteract demonstrations by the growing and heterogeneous antinuclear movement. The role of advocacy of nuclear energy by the Atomic Forum was similar to that in other countries, but the situation in Spain had some distinguishing features. Antinuclear protest in Spain peaked in 1978 paralleling the debates of a new National Energy Plan in Congress, whose first draft had envisaged a massive nuclearization of the country. We show how the approval of the Plan in July 1979, with a significant reduction in the nuclear energy component, was influenced by the anti-nuclear protest movements in Spain. Despite the efforts of the Spanish Atomic Forum to counter its message, the anti-nuclear movement was strengthened by reactions to the Three Miles Island accident in March 1979. Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation Authors:Luis Sánchez-Vázquez (1) and Alfredo Menéndez-Navarro (2) Title:NUCLEAR ENERGY IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE: ANTI-NUCLEAR MOVEMENTS VS. (1962)(1963)(1964)(1965)(1966)(1967)(1968)(1969)(1970)(1971)(1972)(1973)(1974)(1975)(1976)(1977)(1978)(1979). INDUSTRIAL LOBBIES IN SPAIN Author affiliations:(1 Authors:Luis Sánchez-Vázquez (1) and Alfredo Menéndez-Navarro (2) Title: (1962)(1963)(1964)(1965)(1966)(1967)(1968)(1969)(1970)(1971)(1972)(1973)(1974)(1975)(1976)(1977)(1978)(1979). NUCLEAR ENERGY IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE: ANTI-NUCLEAR MOVEMENTS VS. INDUSTRIAL LOBBIES IN SPAIN Author affiliations:(1) Observatorio AbstractThis article examines the role of the Spanish Atomic Forum as the representative of the nuclear sector in the public arena during the golden years of the nuclear power industry from the 1960s to 1970s. It focuses on the public image concerns of the Spanish nuclear lobby and the subsequent information campaigns launched during the late 1970s to counteract demonstrations by the growing and heterogeneous anti-nuclear movement.The role of advocacy of nuclear energy by the Atomic Forum was similar to that in other countries, but the situation in Spain had some distinguishing features. Anti-nuclear protest in Spain peaked in 1978paralleling the debates of a new National Energy Plan in Congress, whose first draft had envisaged a massive nuclearization of the country. We show how the approval of the Plan in July 1979, with a significant reduction in the nuclear energy component, was influenced by the anti-nuclear protest movements in Spain.

Cooling Water: A Source of Conflict in Spain, 1970–1980

“…Disputes over natural resources began during the Franco regime and continued during the period of transition to democracy and up to the mid-1980s. In Spain, popular movements arose first against dam and reservoir construction, followed by anti-nuclear movements [27,49,50].…”

Orígenes y trayectoria de la industria de combustible nuclear en España: ENUSA, 1972-2022

“…Los orígenes históricos de la fabricación de combustible nuclear en España apenas han sido abordados por la historiografía, que se ha centrado en explicar los inicios de la ciencia nuclear (Presas, 2000(Presas, , 2005Barca, 2010;Herrán y Roqué, 2012;Soler, 2017;Menéndez, 2007;Santesmases, 2006Santesmases, , 2009, la historia de la JEN (Caro, 1995;Romero de Pablos y Sánchez-Ron, 2001), el programa de construcción de centrales nucleares (Caro, 1995; Rubio-Varas y De la Torre, 2017; Romero de Pablos, 2019) y el alcance del movimiento antinuclear (Costa, 2001;Menéndez, 2015;Menéndez y Sánchez Vázquez, 2013;Espluga et al, 2017). Tampoco se recoge la historia de ENUSA en los trabajos sobre el Instituto Nacional de Industria-INI (como el clásico de Martín Aceña y Comín, 1991).…”

Making fun of the atom: Humor and pleasant forms of anti‐nuclear resistance in the Iberian Peninsula, 1974–1984

“…The aforementioned Spanish stickers “Nuclear today, Solar tomorrow” from the 1980s are one example of this dialogue. They depict a smiling sun with a red nose shaking hands with a smiling atom—a clear reaction to the pervasive anti‐nuclear smiling sun (on pro‐nuclear strategies by the FAE, see Sánchez‐Vázquez & Menéndez‐Navarro, ). We have not encountered examples of direct reactions in the opposite direction.…”

“…Pereira et al, ; Sánchez‐Vázquez & Menéndez‐Navarro, . Official sources have estimated government compensation costs totaling €5.7 billion, as reported in Los consumidores saldan 19 años después la moratoria nuclear, .…”