Shale We Drill? Discourse Dynamics in UK Fracking Debates

Abstract

This article examines competing political discourses surrounding shale extraction in the UK. It asks how these meanings are communicated and why certain understandings of the issue gain prominence. Drawing on discourse analysis and framing studies, the article first distinguishes two competing coalitions (pro-and antishale) and their shared narratives or 'storylines' (shale opportunity versus shale threat). Through a systematic examination of press reports, websites and public documents, it identifies opposing discursive frames used to shape understanding, meaning and debates, and assesses their resonance and power. The article builds on existing interpretive studies by providing a finer-grained analysis of discourse success, and a greater emphasis on the coalition members who shape and deliver the agreed storyline. It argues that the anti-shale coalition in the UK has thus far enjoyed greater discourse success for two reasons: firstly, because the pro-shale coalition lacks trustworthy messengers; secondly, because shale opponents have successfully expanded the debate beyond economic or environmental concerns to include potent issues of local power and democracy.

‘If they only knew what I know’: Attitude change from education about ‘fracking’

“…An emerging literature has begun to explore how unconventional gas development via hydraulic fracturing (UGD) 1 has been framed in news media (Ashmoore et al 2016;Evensen et al 2014a;Mazur 2016;Olive 2016;Vasi et al 2015), social media (Hopke and Simis 2015;Jaspal, Turner, and Nerlich 2014) and public discourse (Bomberg 2015;Cotton et al 2014;Cotton, 2015;Hilson 2015;Kroepsch 2016;Molinatti and Simonneau 2015;Williams et al 2015). The foregoing research reveals the complex and nuanced ways in which perspectives on this issue are negotiated and emerge -supported by substantial research on public perceptions of UGD (e.g., Anderson and Theodori 2009;Boudet et al 2014;Braiser et al 2013;Clarke et al 2015;Evensen et al 2014b;Evensen 2015a;Evensen and Stedman 2016;Israel et al 2015;Malin 2014;Morrone et al 2015;Perry 2012b;Sangaramoorthy et al 2016;Schafft and Biddle 2015;Stedman et al 2012;Stedman et al 2016;Willow 2014; see Thomas et al 2017 for a review).…”

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

“…1 Despite the lack of actual shale gas development, dialogue about shale gas extraction has been no less lively in the UK (e.g. [4,11,56] than in the US [14,2], Much of the conversation about shale gas development in the UK has tended to focus broadly on whether it will obtain positive or negative impacts and why (as opposed to how to manage specific aspects of development). This conversation, thus, points to whether development should or should not occur [4,25,52].…”

The discursive politics of unconventional gas in Scotland: Drifting towards precaution?

“…Cotton [15] uses Q-methodology to identify specific areas of agreement and contestation. Bomberg [7] undertakes a systematic content analysis of UK media frames, assesses their potential effectiveness (or resonance), and detects a "growing dominance of more parochial frames" over broader national or global discourses regarding the economy or climate change. Hilson [39] evaluates the limited legal relevance of such global frames in England's planning and regulatory procedures.…”

“…The need for reassurance has become increasingly evident in the face of determined opposition to UGD [7]. The storyline emphasises the value of public consultation to obtain the necessary 'social licence' for UGD (e.g.…”

“…One way to explain the evolution of the debate over UGD (and associated policy-making) is to assess the relative discursive power of pro-and anti-UGD discourse coalitions, as Bomberg [7] has done for the UK. In Scotland, the different storylines cover an expansive discursive terrain and opinion polls indicate that anti-UGD narratives currently appear to outperform pro-UGD storylines.…”