Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom

Our work examines the relationship between knowledge/familiarity with shale gas development in a comparative context. The United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) represent very different cases of shale gas development, with development relatively mature in the US whilst, no extraction of shale ga...

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Main Authors: Stedman, Richard C., Evensen, Derrick, O'Hara, Sarah, Humphrey, Mathew
Format: Article
Published: Elsevier 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38567/
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author Stedman, Richard C.
Evensen, Derrick
O'Hara, Sarah
Humphrey, Mathew
author_facet Stedman, Richard C.
Evensen, Derrick
O'Hara, Sarah
Humphrey, Mathew
author_sort Stedman, Richard C.
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Our work examines the relationship between knowledge/familiarity with shale gas development in a comparative context. The United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) represent very different cases of shale gas development, with development relatively mature in the US whilst, no extraction of shale gas has yet commenced in the UK. Comparing results from two national level survey efforts in 2014, we find higher levels of knowledge about the shale gas industry in the UK than in the US, as well as higher levels of support in the US (opposition levels were similar, but US respondents were much less likely than UK respondents to say that they did not know whether they supported or opposed development). With respect to the relationship between knowledge and support, increased knowledge in the UK is associated with increased support, while knowledge was unrelated to support in the US. We anchor these results within the information deficit model of science, suggesting that concentrated media and governance in the UK have played an important role in producing the demonstrated effects.
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spelling nottingham-385672020-05-04T18:08:36Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38567/ Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom Stedman, Richard C. Evensen, Derrick O'Hara, Sarah Humphrey, Mathew Our work examines the relationship between knowledge/familiarity with shale gas development in a comparative context. The United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) represent very different cases of shale gas development, with development relatively mature in the US whilst, no extraction of shale gas has yet commenced in the UK. Comparing results from two national level survey efforts in 2014, we find higher levels of knowledge about the shale gas industry in the UK than in the US, as well as higher levels of support in the US (opposition levels were similar, but US respondents were much less likely than UK respondents to say that they did not know whether they supported or opposed development). With respect to the relationship between knowledge and support, increased knowledge in the UK is associated with increased support, while knowledge was unrelated to support in the US. We anchor these results within the information deficit model of science, suggesting that concentrated media and governance in the UK have played an important role in producing the demonstrated effects. Elsevier 2016-10-01 Article PeerReviewed Stedman, Richard C., Evensen, Derrick, O'Hara, Sarah and Humphrey, Mathew (2016) Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom. Energy Research & Social Science, 20 . pp. 142-148. ISSN 2214-6296 Hydraulic fracturing; Knowledge; Support; Comparative analyses http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629616301463 doi:10.1016/j.erss.2016.06.017 doi:10.1016/j.erss.2016.06.017
spellingShingle Hydraulic fracturing; Knowledge; Support; Comparative analyses
Stedman, Richard C.
Evensen, Derrick
O'Hara, Sarah
Humphrey, Mathew
Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom
title Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom
title_full Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom
title_fullStr Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom
title_full_unstemmed Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom
title_short Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom
title_sort comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the united states and the united kingdom
topic Hydraulic fracturing; Knowledge; Support; Comparative analyses
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38567/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38567/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38567/