Article
Details
Citation
Watterson A & Dinan W (2017) The U.K.'s "Dash for Gas" A Rapid Evidence Assessment of Fracking for Shale Gas, Regulation and Public Health. New Solutions, 27 (1), pp. 68-91. https://doi.org/10.1177/1048291117698175
Abstract
The evidence on public health regulation of the unconventional gas extraction (fracking) industry was examined using a rapid evidence assessment of fifteen case studies from multiple countries. They included scientific and academic papers, professional reports, government agency reports, industry and industry-funded reports, and a nongovernment organization report. Each case study review was structured to address strengths and weaknesses of the publication in relation to our research questions. Some case studies emphasized inherent industry short-, medium-, and long-term dangers to public health directly and through global climate change impacts. Other case studies argued that fracking could be conducted safelyassumingindustry best practice, ¡°robust¡± regulation, and mitigation, but the evidence base for such statements proved generally sparse. U.K. regulators¡¯ own assessments on fracking regulation are also evaluated. The existing evidence points to the necessity of a precautionary approach to protect public health from unconventional gas extraction development.
Keywords
fracking; public health; precaution; regulation; rapid evidence assessment
Journal
New Solutions: Volume 27, Issue 1
Status | Published |
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Publication date | 31/05/2017 |
Publication date online | 21/03/2017 |
Date accepted by journal | 01/02/2017 |
URL | |
Publisher | SAGE |
ISSN | 1048-2911 |
eISSN | 1541-3772 |
People (1)
Senior Lecturer, Communications, Media and Culture