Value chain · CLM-1084
In plain terms
When the programme asked the public in 1979-80, one respondent in seven wrote back; the environmental and consumer groups were mostly against, the students split, the space enthusiasts for, and most people had never heard of it.
The claim as recorded
The programme's only public-outreach experiment, reported in April 1980: three groups each summarised about 20 white papers for 3,000 constituents, so that "9,200 individuals/organizations received information about the SPS concept" and "approximately 1,400 receipients of this information took the initiative to provide feedback (15%)"; the Citizens' Energy Project received "381 letters and other written comments", of which "approximately 20 indicated support", "31 were neutral or undecided" and "The remaining responses indicated opposition", "In total, the overall tenor of the comments received was negative"; the students' forum got "227 Response Forms ... for a 7.5% return rate" with "No clear majority of support or opposition"; the L-5 Society's members said "Solar power satellites look like a prime option for future energy needs" and "The Reference Design needs major revisions"; the sociologist's assessment concluded "The eventual near-term public response to the SPS concept does not now appear to be favorable ... Satellite Power Systems will have a problem in the area of public acceptability"; and a college survey found "Of over three hundred people questioned about SPS seventy percent had never heard of it".
Evidence behind this: T3, four outreach abstracts' counts from self-selected respondents, a sociologist's poll argument and a college survey.
Scope and limits
Self-selected respondents to mailed summaries; each group chose its own method, "the kinds of information received ... are different for each group". Klineberg's is an argument from polls, not an SPS survey.
What it assumes
No assumptions are recorded against this claim.
Where it comes from
PDF p.158 / printed 135, normalised: "Each group summarized 20 SPS White Papers and distributed them to 3,000 constiuents"; the 9,200 and 1,400 sentences; "44" questions "sent out to the SPS Research and Development (R & D) Task Force for answers". PDF p.561 / printed 540: the 381, 20 and 31 sentences and "The remaining responses indicated opposition towards the SPS concept"; "the overall tenor of the comments received was negative towards the SPS". PDF p.565 / printed 544: "227 Response Forms were received by the Forum for a 7.5% return rate"; "No clear majority of support or opposition to the SPS is evident". PDF p.563 / printed 542: the L-5 bullets as quoted. PDF p.556 / printed 535: the Klineberg sentences as quoted; PDF p.555 / printed 534: "a swift, sharp, and all-encompassing decline of trust and confidence in government and in major corporations". PDF p.572 / printed 551: the seventy percent sentence.
Basis: recipients and respondents; counts for, neutral and against; per cent return
Related records
- Answers question
- QST-019 not published in this release
Cite this
energyaperture.com/c/clm-1084
CLM-1084, Energy Aperture, as of 1980-04.
Connected records
Other published records linked to this one. A list, not a judgement.
- Also from SRC-449
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