Patzke_New_Poster_Abstract

The aim of this study is to understand 1) the ethical formations and arguments supported by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) maps made by “anti-fracking” activists in central New York State and 2) how GIS mapping shapes the thinking, arguments and strategies of anti-fracking activists in central New York State. This reciprocal relationship focuses on the changing tools of activism focused on education, communication and scale. As images of local activism are combined to produce state and regional maps, contiguous and immediate threats of alternative gas industrial sites are 'made real' to the viewer. The study focuses on two maps: The List of the Harmed, which marks the places individuals have been negatively impacted by gas drilling, and Bans, Moratoria, and Movements against hydraulic fracturing for shale-gas in New York State, which identifies municipal action regarding industrial activity through zoning and ordinances. GIS is a means to imagine the future and speculate on the unintended consequences of drilling based on past events. This research draws on data gathered through qualitative research methods to focus on the discourse surrounding alternative gas drilling, sometimes called 'fracking’ and the work of concerned citizens who use maps as a way to educate the general public. In this context, GIS mapping focuses on the consequences of drilling at a micro-local level, utilizing 'big data' from census combined with information collected by individuals, which allow for new arguments against fracking to emerge. These maps are attentive to the dominant discourse of industry and national level politics that highlight 'energy independence.' Place-based education and ethics counter this dominant discourse, emphasizing the local and immediate health and well-being ramifications of industrial gas extraction. Re-thinking activism propels local movements to the national scale while retaining deep ties to micro-local issues. This 'scaling' of the issue retains legitimacy for both positions and successfully counters dominant discourses that only address national or fiscal concerns.