Truthout Catches Up – Control Risks Report on Fracking Groups
UPDATE: March 27, 2013
Media playing catchup?
Truthout published Gas Industry Report Calls Anti-Fracking Movement a “Highly Effective Campaign today (March 27, 2013). What took them so long?
The blog post below was put out on December 19, 2012 – approximately 3 months ago.
The Control Risks Group Limited (CRG) is a subsidiary of Control Risks Holdings Limited, with headquarters in London,UK.
CRG describes itself as:
….an independent, global risk consultancy specialising in helping organisations manage political, integrity and security risks in complex and hostile environments. We support clients by providing strategic consultancy, expert analysis and in-depth investigations, handling sensitive political issues and providing practical on-the-ground protection and support.
CRG has issued a “white paper” entitled: THE GLOBAL ANTI-FRACKING MOVEMENT – What it wants, how it operates and what’s next
The paper covers topics such as:
- Gasland goes global
- What the anti-fracking movement wants
- How the anti-fracking movement operates
- How can the industry respond?
Note the title of the paper “GLOBAL anti-fracking movement.” Yes, your local grass-roots group is considered part of the “GLOBAL anti-fracking movement”.
CRG continues:
As shown by local bans in the US and Canada, national moratoriums in France and Bulgaria, and tighter regulation in Australia and the UK, the global anti-fracking movement has mounted an effective campaign against the extraction of unconventional gas through hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’). Meanwhile, the oil and gas industry has largely failed to appreciate social and political risks, and has repeatedly been caught off guard by the sophistication, speed and influence of anti-fracking activists.
The paper gives advice on 4 key areas to target in order to improve relations with stakeholders (page 13)
- Acknowledge Grievances
- Engaging Communities
- Reduce Impacts
- Create More Winners
It’s somewhat interesting a google search for Control Risks FTI Consulting turned up a few former CRG employees are now associated with FTI Consulting.
As a sidenote – not surprisingly, but still of some concern, I did a word search on the white paper for the word “RESPONSIBILITY”, there were ZERO instances.
Better Deal? Really?
It is very telling and interesting under the Section “What anti-fracking movement wants” – the first item has to do with money under the heading of A better deal. (emphasis added)
A better deal
Parts of the anti-fracking movement are not opposed to hydraulic fracturing per se, but want to extract a better deal from the industry in terms of economic opportunity, taxation, and compensation.
Sort of thrown into the paper, here and there are mentions of concerns regarding environmental and health impact. Kind of like an afterthought….oh yeah…there are a few people worried about the environment and health.
Control Risks also does assessments on terrorists groups, political unrest. If they assess these like they have the Frackitivist movement, there might be a problem with their “intel”.
Yes, We can Sing
The white paper is not only helpful in respect to letting us know how the natural gas industry may approach or adjust current public relations, it also highlights how effective we have been, are now and will be in the natural gas debate.
This paper would not have been written if each and every one of our groups were not making a difference. Natural Gas corporations would not be spending millions (perhaps billions) in global public relation campaigns, academic papers, lobbying, and political donations, etc., if each of u
s were not making a difference.
I know it seems at times we are “preaching to the choir”, but our “choir” is growing. You only have to look at how much money the natural gas industry is spending to shut us up as proof of the size of our choir.
(C) 2012 by Dory Hippauf
