Animals at Risk? Assessing the Influence of Altruism and Interspecies Relationships on Perceptions of Hydraulic Fracturing.

• In Event: 2210 - Presented Research Explores How Human and Non-human Animals Co-exist and Interact in Society

Abstract

Much attention has been paid to how people perceive the risks of high volume horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (HVHHF), which is rapidly expanding throughout the U.S. However, limited attention has been paid to evaluating what people think about the dangers HVHHF poses to animals or what drives these perceptions. This omission is important because biological and physical scientists argue that animals face the greatest risks from HVHHF. Through original survey data this study finds that, on average, people believe that HVHHF is extremely dangerous to animal life, but sociologists have yet to assess what drives individuals’ perceptions of risk to animals. Using structural equation modeling, this study assesses the causal link between environmental values, as theorized in environmental sociology, and Georg Simmel and Robert Park’s conceptions of social distance to identify the social-psychological and personal characteristics driving perceptions of risk to various animal groups. Results show that altruism (animal and biospheric) is a positive predictor of increased risk perceptions, and that social distance mediates this relationship for perception of risk posed to companion animals but not for livestock or wildlife. The findings have important implications for understanding the human-animal relationship and for environmental and animal rights movements pursuing policies that promote animal well-being.

Author

• Cameron Thomas Whitley, Rutgers University-Camden