Fracking Demographics
Gallup Polls have shown that Democrats are more likely to be against fracking than Independents and Republicans. In March 2016, only 25% of Democrats and 34% of Independents showed support for fracking, while 55% of Republicans favor the practice. In the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary, exit polls showed that 65% of Democrats oppose domestic hydraulic fracturing, while only 27% favor it. Despite fracking being a common practice in Pennsylvania, the exit polls suggest that more progressive voters oppose the use of fracking. Bernie Sanders advocates a ban on fracking, while Hillary Clinton supports strict regulations, and the exit poll results indicate that 72% of Sanders supporters oppose fracking, while only 60% of Clinton supporters oppose the practice. We can infer that the anti-fracking groups would appeal most to the progressive demographics within the Democratic Party.
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| Both above images from NBC NEWS |
A Gallup Poll from 2015 found that adults 65+ were most likely to favor fracking practices with 52% of support, while young adults age 18-29 were the least likely to favor fracking with just 32% of support. Adults age 30-49 opposed fracking the most, with 45% opposing it. Additionally, 24% of young adults had no opinion on fracking, while 16% of 65+ adults expressed no opinion, suggesting older individuals are more likely to have an opinion on fracking than younger individuals.
The poll also found that those who actively participate in the environmental
movement were more likely to oppose fracking (53% of adults), while those who expressed neutral/unsympathetic feelings for the environmental movement favored fracking at 57%. An individual's feelings about the environmental movement is a better indicator of fracking preferences based on the large discrepancy between the two groups, and we can infer that the anti-fracking groups are demographically more active/sympathetic to the environment in general.
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| Chart taken from a Gallup Poll |
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| Source: Pew Research Center |
Pew Research Center conducted a survey on the increase use of fracking, and important demographics like gender, race, age, and region were all noted in the study. By a difference of 9 percentage points, they found that women were more likely than men to oppose fracking (55% to 46%). 46% of men favor increased use of fracking, while only 33% of women favored the practice, which is a difference of 13 percentage points. Interestingly, there wasn’t a strong differentiation between white and black Americans and their support for fracking. 48% of both groups oppose the practice, while blacks slightly favor the practice more than whites. However, Hispanics were the most likely demographic to oppose fracking in this study, with 60% opposition to it, and only 32% favorable. When it came to regional support for fracking, the South was most likely to favor the practice, while the Northeast and West were the most likely to oppose it. The Midwest tends to support fracking, but not as much as the South. The Pew Research Center also concluded that there was no significant correlation between level of education and opposition to fracking.
As a result of our findings, liberal progressives tend to be our demographic’s most popular constituents. Specifically, demographic groups like women, Hispanics, Northeastern and Western Americans, and 18-29 year olds are most likely to be anti-fracking. It will be easiest to motivate these demographics since they are the ones in the most opposition to fracking. Based on the demographic results, it will be very difficult to motivate older conservative men who identify more frequently as Republican. I would focus our energy away from the South and Midwest, where fracking is the most popular, and it will be crucial to promote our anti-fracking agenda in the West and Northeast. We want to reach out to younger individuals who know less about fracking, but we also want older supporters who will be more active in the political process.
When it comes to our outreach and promoting our interest we also want to reach out to people who are in fracking zones. The people that are most negatively affected by fracking are the people closer to the drilling area. According to a new study by Inside Climate News, people closer to a fracking zone in Wyoming have much more toxic chemicals in their air compared to places farther from the fracking site. They found that carcinogen benzene was the biggest chemical in the air and at rates that were at risk for citizens breathing in that air. There already have been many groups formed to unite against fracking and many of the people who are directly affected by it. Along with this there are still people who aren’t affected by fracking, but care about banning fracking. Many of these people have common interest of looking out for the environment. I feel that if we can outreach to these people we can further outreach to the rest of the democratic party and in turn get a common interest of banning fracking.
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