ABSTRACT
The campaign against fracking in America has a strong community component. As a loose coalition of local communities with shared concerns about the capacity of fracking to harm their immediate environments, whether via contaminated water supply, diseases, or earthquakes, anti-fracking activists strive to find their place in the larger climate movement. The federal government had not regulated fracking in its nascent stage, and as it gained traction, the government even lent a helping hand. The policy changes made so far bode well for the movement, and they also have the potential to shape the fracking industry's outlook. The industry has argued that fracking produces employment and promotes economic growth. The gas industry has often targeted Gasland, blaming it for wildly exaggerating the environmental repercussions of fracking. In addition to the popular success of Gasland, the movement has put together a highly effective advocacy coalition through grassroots mobilization, social media, direct action, and networking.
