Ethics and ‘fracking’: a review of (the limited) moral thought on shale gas development

et al. 2017

WIREs Climate Change

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The United States and Canada have been at the forefront of shale oil and gas development via hydraulic fracturing. Understanding public perceptions is important given the role that they may play in future policy decisions in both North America and other parts of the world where shale development is at a much earlier stage. We review 58 articles pertaining to perceptions, published between 2009 and 2015. Studies report mixed levels of awareness of shale operations, tending toward higher awareness in areas with existing development. While individuals tend to have negative associations with the term ‘fracking,’ views on shale development are mixed as to whether benefits outweigh risks or vice versa: perceived benefits tend to be economic (e.g., job creation and boosts to local economies) and risks more commonly environmental and/or social (e.g., impacts on water and increased traffic). Some papers point to ethical issues (e.g., inequitable risk/benefit distribution and procedural justice) and widespread distrust of responsible parties, stemming from perceived unfairness, heavy‐handed corporate tactics, and lack of transparency. These findings point to the contested, political character of much of the debate about hydraulic fracturing, and raise questions of what constitutes ‘acceptable’ risk in this context. We compare these results with research emerging in the UK over the same period. Future research should focus on nuanced inquiry, a range of methodologies and explore perceptions in varied social and geographical contexts. Both this and future research hold the potential to enhance public debates and decisions about shale gas and oil development. WIREs Clim Change 2017, 8:e450. doi: 10.1002/wcc.450 This article is categorized under: Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Perceptions of Climate Change The Carbon Economy and Climate Mitigation > Policies, Instruments, Lifestyles, Behavior

Section: Perceptions Of Shale Operations In the Us And Canadamentioning

confidence: 99%

Public perceptions of hydraulic fracturing for shale gas and oil in the United States and Canada

Thomas

Pidgeon

et al. 2017

WIREs Climate Change

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“…Indeed, research has shown concerns about procedural justice to be amongst the leading normative claims shaping perceptions of shale gas development (Cotton 2013, Evensen 2015, 2016a, Whitton et al 2017.…”

Section: Implications For Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beliefs about impacts matter little for attitudes on shale gas development

Stedman

2017

Energy Policy

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 Previous work suggests attitudes toward 'fracking' are based on specific beliefs  Our research suggests attitudes may instead lead to beliefs about development  This finding challenges social-psychological assumptions about attitude objects  Communication on impacts of 'fracking' may do little to affect support/opposition  Policy should focus on issues beyond the immediate impacts of development 2 Abstract Do facts lead to positive/negative views about energy development or vice versa? The answer matters crucially for policy and communicationif perceptions of what is true (beliefs) precede feelings (attitudes), additional information could shape views on an energy technology; yet, if attitudes precede beliefs, the usefulness of communication, either for influencing beliefs or simply making the public more informed, is far less clear. A long history of social-psychological research asserts that individuals' beliefs predict their attitudes on environmental issues. Nevertheless, other theories intimate the reverseattitudes shape beliefs, specifically on newly emergent, controversial topics. We investigated whether attitudes (i.e., support and opposition) about the contentious issue of shale gas development stem from or lead to beliefs about development. We collected data from random-sample surveysof residents in the Marcellus Shale region and of a national US sample. Factor analyses and structural equation modelling lead us to question the dominant assumption that beliefs precede attitudesthe reverse, or a recursive relationship, appears more likely. Broad values and place attachment precede attitude formation more reliably than beliefs about impacts dosuggesting need for a larger focus in energy policy on core values and the ways in which development could foster or compromise these values.

“…All forms of energy development, even wind and solar, have negative environmental consequences (e.g., during production and installation) (Duggan-Haas et al, 2013). Avoiding environmental damage is not possible, but having a principled and non-arbitrary threshold for the damage one is willing to accept is possible (Evensen, 2015); a conversation about justice considerations is relevant here (Cotton, 2016;Evensen, 2016;Sovacool and Dworkin, 2015).…”

Section: The Democratsmentioning

confidence: 99%

US presidential candidates’ views on unconventional gas and oil: Who has it right?

Energy Research & Social Science

2016

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Unconventional oil and gas extraction (from shale, coal, or tight sands) via hydraulic fracturing (often just 'fracking') has the potential to transform the US physical and political landscape. This issue has played a role in the 2008 and 2012 US presidential contests and recently emerged as a point of demarcation between the final four democrat and republican contenders for the White House. On the democrat side, broadly, Sanders advocates for a ban on unconventional hydrocarbon development, whilst Clinton advocates for strict regulation but sees opportunities for natural gas in the US's energy future. Donald Trump and Ted Cruz favour development. I evaluate the extent to which the two presidential nominees and the two runner-ups' views are justified based on the most recent natural, physical, and social science on this issue. In doing so, I discuss the characterisation of unconventional gas as a 'bridge fuel' and unpack what conditions would be necessary for this metaphor of 'bridging' to be appropriate. This short communication will hopefully instigate further the debate amongst scholars of energy politics, energy policy, and energy development on the role unconventional oil and gas plays in the US's energy future and the US's approach to climate change mitigation.