Abstract

The engagement of residents in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) debates within regions in which extraction occurs is critically important for shaping fracking policies. Such engagement may be less likely to occur in such regions, however, due to social factors associated with fossil fuel dependence, or what has been termed petro-statism. Alberta, Canada, is just such a place, and we use survey data (N = 226) from a sample of residents in Lethbridge, Fox Creek, and Rosebud—three Alberta communities where local residents have experienced nearby proposed or active fracking for natural gas. We found the social capital attributes of trust and self-efficacy, as well as concern for the impacts of fracking, strongly predict public engagement in fracking issues in the three study sites. Annual household income, education, and working in the energy sector also shape citizens’ participation in fracking. Furthermore, we found that trust in particular institutions can have different levels of influence on personal and collective engagement.

抽象的

在形成开采区域内，居民参与水力压裂（压裂）辩论对于制定压裂政策至关重要。但是，由于与化石燃料依赖相关的社会因素或所谓的石油统计，这种参与可能不太可能在这些地区发生。加拿大艾伯塔省就是这样一个地方，我们使用调查数据（N = 226）来自莱斯布里奇，福克斯克里克和玫瑰花蕾的居民样本（三个艾伯塔省社区，当地居民在附近经历了拟议的或活跃的天然气压裂活动）。我们发现信任和自我效能感的社会资本属性，以及对水力压裂的影响的关注，在三个研究地点强烈预测了公众对水力压裂问题的参与。家庭的年收入，教育程度以及在能源部门的工作也影响着公民参与水力压裂。此外，我们发现，对特定机构的信任会对个人和集体参与产生不同程度的影响。