Radiation education versus 'radio-phobia' - public perception of radiation

In this article the author presents the basis and reasons of the public radio-phobia in Poland. He mentions about people mentality historically based the 'cold war' and Soviet's military and technologically domination in this part of Europe. Besides of the historical and sociological sources he pays attention on a few aspects, which - in his opinion - intensified the negative public responses: Chernobyl catastrophe, the coal-lobby influences, the political parties (not only 'green') games during election time, existing of old conventional coal power stations, accessibility of own cheap coal, cost of transformation from communistic to free-market economy, low-level of public pro-ecology thinking and so on. On the other hand the author describes some non-realistic attitudes of society - for example - they accept nuclear medicine while do not agree to develop nuclear power engineering. Finally he presents conclusions, which can change public perception of radiation. (author)