Public perceptions of 'fracking' for shale gas and oil in Britain

This paper is submitted as part of the double symposium PERCEPTION AND GOVERNANCE OF FRACKING RISKS: US AND EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVES, convened by Nick Pidgeon (Cardiff) and Barbara Harthorn (UCSB, USA) . Paper abstract: In this... [ view full abstract ]

This paper is submitted as part of the double symposium PERCEPTION AND GOVERNANCE OF FRACKING RISKS: US AND EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVES, convened by Nick Pidgeon (Cardiff) and Barbara Harthorn (UCSB, USA) . Paper abstract: In this paper we present results of a public deliberation exercise that investigated perceptions of shale gas and oil extraction by hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’), a process by which pressurised liquid is injected into rocks to fracture them and facilitate the flow of hydrocarbons. There has recently been interest in shale gas prospectivity in Britain, but fracking has been met with opposition from local communities, and concerns have been raised about its environmental and social impacts. Understanding public perceptions of these technologies is important given the role that they may play in future policy decisions, and while survey studies have broadly gauged awareness and opinions, much less work has looked at the underlying dimensions of these perceptions. This study therefore qualitatively investigates public perceptions of shale gas developments in Britain in order to gain an understanding of these perceptions and explore how social contexts influence beliefs. Following three pilot workshops, we carried out two full-day deliberative workshops (N=25) in October 2014 with members of the public in two UK cities, chosen for their diverse demographics and their locations in areas that have not yet experienced high degrees of social amplification around fracking. The workshops consisted of a variety of tasks to engage participants with fracking processes, its advantages and disadvantages, and considerations such as responsibility, governance and decision making. In this paper we identify degrees of public acceptability and explore questions, trade-offs, conditions and concerns, discussing the implications of these for future shale gas development. The paper also facilitates a comparison with findings of parallel workshops held in the USA, providing an appraisal of perceptions in countries where shale gas extraction is new and where it is more established.