Public Opinion on Hydraulic Fracturing in the Province of Quebec : A Comparison with Michigan and Pennsylvania

Key Findings: 1. Relative to residents of Michigan and Pennsylvania, those living in Quebec are much more likely to oppose the extraction of natural gas from shale deposits in their province. 2. The general aversion to hydraulic fracturing in Quebec is shared across the province, and appears to be driven less by a ‘not in my backyard’ (NIMBY) reaction than by ‘not in anyone’s backyard’ (NIABY) attitudes. 3. Despite the dominant view that experts are divided on risks related to fracking, residents of Quebec are more likely than residents of Michigan and Pennsylvania to view risks as being high. 4. Residents of Quebec are much less likely to perceive the development of shale resources as being important for the economy, and a majority of Quebecers perceive that drilling for natural gas in their province will cause more problems than benefits in the future. 5. The prevalence of egalitarian values in Quebec helps explain this particular reticence toward hydraulic fracturing in the province. 6. More egalitarian and less individualistic than the public in Michigan and Pennsylvania, residents of Quebec perceive greater risks in the extraction of natural gas from shale, and tend to be less convinced of economic benefits. 7. Information is associated with greater opposition to fracking in Quebec, though it has no effect in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Rather than mitigate risk perceptions, information can reinforce concerns related to risks. 8. Provided with new scientific information, individuals adjust their perceptions of risk, however, even a strong signal from credible experts is unlikely to alter attitudes in Quebec to such an extent as to produce overall support