- Who is involved?
The two major groups we see in this controversy are the oil and gas industries and the communities affected by fracking.
- Who are some of the major speakers/writers?
Josh Fox produced a very controversial documentary in 2010 entitled Gasland. This documentary single-handedly brought the issue of hydraulic fracturing into the public eye.
- What kind of social/cultural/economic/political power does each group hold?
The gas and oil companies hold a lot of economic power in their communities. Often these companies are the main income for their area's, which also gives them a lot of social and political power. The community, specifically the community members opposed to fracking, also hold a lot of political power as voters.
- What does each group value?
The oil and gas companies seem to value profiting and efficiently utilizing natural resources. The community, however, values the health and well being of its citizens.
- Is there a power differential between the two groups?
The oil and gas companies definitely have a large amount of power. Their economic positions give them huge social and political gains.
- Is there any acknowledged common ground?
Both groups claim that they have the community's best interests at heart.
- Is there any unacknowledged common ground?
Both groups think they understand the environmental effects while both think that the other does not.
- Do the various groups listen to each other?
Largely the oil and gas companies ignore the claims made by the community and environmentalists. Similarly, the community and environmentalists ignore the oil and gas companies' claims that the practice of fracking is safe for the environment.
You're off to a good start here. What's missing for me are all the specifics (you've started to outline them here - for example you name Josh Fox specifically as one of the activists speaking publicly about this - what other individuals or groups are involved?).
ReplyDeleteClarifying all this stuff in painstaking detail during the research process saves a huge amount of time later I think.
Example:
For the question, 'What does each group value?' rather than go through all the different speakers/actors and clarify their positions, we get a very vague summary of the general overarching controversy. That lack of detail won't serve you once you get deeper into the project.
Try to be as DETAILED AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE from hereon out. I'd rather be urging you to pull back and leave some stuff out (easier to do) than to lack this important information....
Let me know if I can be of help with this.