Hydraulic fracturing is changing the way oil and gas is extracted and led to the oil and gas boom seen in places like North Dakota, Texas, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Oil and gas companies are looking carefully at the shale oil in southern Illinois, where the New Albany Shale could potentially hold yet another oil boom in that state.
Fracking can lead to new local employment opportunities and increased local tax revenue. But environmental and social concerns follow fracking. Water contamination, the release of methane gas and seismic activity highlight some of the potential environmental problems. An influx of new, outside workers strains public safety and social services.
Despite this, Americans know very little about fracking, according to a new study in the journal Energy Policy. The study found 55% of Americans know little or nothing about fracking. Fifty-eight percent have no opinion. Nearly equal numbers support and oppose the technique. Twenty-two percent say they support it, while 20% are against fracking.
Lead author HilaryBoudet from Oregon State University said the demographic breakdown of fracking opponents and supporters is similar to what previous research has found about emerging technologies.
“People who are older, males, those with conservative political ideologies tend to be more supportive of fracking than those who are younger, female and more liberal,” Boudet said. Media consumption also plays a role. Boudet said those who watch television news more frequently are more likely to support fracking, but newspaper readers are less likely to be supportive.
Boudet said it is not unusual for the majority of the public to be undecided about a contentious issue like oil and gas development.
“There’s a lot of information coming from different sides and it makes it difficult to arrive at a decision,” Boudet said.
The PaulSimonPublic Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University released a poll in October that found voters are evenly divided about fracking in southern Illinois. The survey found approximately 41% believe the technique should be encouraged, while 40% think it should be discouraged. The rest had no opinion.