Fracking the future: the temporal portability of frames in political contests

Nyberg, Daniel; Wright, Christopher; Kirk, Jacqueline

Title: Fracking the future: the temporal portability of frames in political contests
Creator: Nyberg, Daniel; Wright, Christopher; Kirk, Jacqueline
Relation: Organization Studies Vol. 41, Issue 2, p. 175-196
Publisher Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0170840618814568
Publisher: Sage
Resource Type: journal article
Date: 2020
Description: Despite scientific consensus on the need to rapidly decarbonize economic systems to limit global warming, the exploitation of fossil fuels continues unabated. This begs the question, why do we continue down this path? We argue that one reason is the way in which fossil fuel expansion is temporally framed. In this article, we examine the disputed development of hydraulic fracturing of shale gas ('fracking') in the United Kingdom. Through analysis of a series of public inquiries conducted by the UK Government we show how industry, government and NGOs have engaged in a framing contest in debating the future of fracking. The findings show how the framing of fossil fuel development was solidified over time through processes of certainty, simplicity and familiarity. We contribute by: (a) showing how actors mobilize temporality in constructing persuasive and actionable frames; (b) developing a theory of how frames gain temporal portability - a chronology between a dominant past and a recognized future; and (c) providing an alternative theory of short-termism in explaining the path leading us to a dangerous climate changed future.
Subject: climate change; fracking; framing; framing contests; politics; temporality; time
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1420608
Identifier: uon:37618
Identifier: ISSN:0170-8406
Language: eng
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