U.S. and UK citizens cast a wary eye.

• Position: Fracking

While an entire ocean separates the U.S. from the United Kingdom, when the issue of fracking arises, the great divide--philosophically speaking--narrows considerably. Concerns about short- and long-term impacts of horizontal drilling for shale energy are prevalent in both countries. According to a study published in Nature Energy, key issues include the risk of water contamination as well as preferences for renewable energy sources over fossil fuels to meet national energy needs.

Drawing on more than a decade of research developed by the Center for Nanotechnology in Society (CNS) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Cardiff University, Wales, the study demonstrates how deliberative public engagement methods can be applied to these aims.

"This study found surprisingly high levels of environmental and societal concern about hydraulic fracturing in areas with no direct experience with the technology," says coauthor Barbara Harthorn, director of CNS and a professor in the Department of Anthropology.

The results showed that shale development widely is seen as a short-term fix leading to an unwanted dependency on finite fossil fuels at the expense of renewables...