Participation, Power, and the Role of Community Psychology in Environmental Disputes: A Tale of Two Nuclear Cities

This paper examines public participation and the role of community psychology in an emerging environmental dispute relevant
to global climate change (GCC)—whether nuclear power represents a “green” solution. From a dialectical position, we explore
the nuclear debate as it is linked to GCC, and more specifically, how participation in related federally-mandated processes
may be shaped by power. We present qualitative data from public meetings in two nuclear communities and analyze these data
through a lens of social power and environmental justice, including an examination of nukespeak and telepolitical appeals to highlight the complexity of the issues, how the appearance of successful participation may be deceptive, and how consensus
may be manipulated. We argue that CP should consider GCC to be one of the most significant social problems of our time and
make every effort to be involved in the search for truly “green” solutions.