Debating Extractivism: Stakeholder Communications in British Columbia’s Liquefied Natural Gas Controversy

Sibo Chen

doi:10.1177/2158244020983007

Abstract

Shale gas extraction via hydraulic fracturing has been a controversial issue in many countries. In Canada, the provincial government of British Columbia (BC) has made relentless efforts on developing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry targeting potential Asian importers, which has been a heatedly debated public controversy since late 2011. Focusing on the two contending discourse coalitions formed by this policy initiative’s supporters and opponents, respectively, this article explores the intricate economic, political, and ideological struggles underlying Canadian extractivism. A qualitative discourse analysis of related stakeholder communications reveals that the pro-LNG coalition led by the BC Liberal government developed a “progressive extractivism” storyline to frame LNG exports as an unprecedented and ethical economic opportunity deserving the political support of environmentally minded British Columbians. By contrast, the anti-LNG coalition formed by progressive civil organizations, Indigenous groups, and concerned citizens engaged in fierce discursive resistance, notably via (a) adopting mainstream economic knowledge to highlight the fragile economic basis of BC LNG and (b) incorporating potent political issues such as democratic governance and reconciliation to expand public debates beyond the “jobs versus the environment” dichotomy.

Highlights

Shale gas extraction via hydraulic fracturing has drawn widespread scholarly and public attention over the past decade
From late 2011 to early 2012, the British Columbia (BC) Liberal government initiated the formation of the pro-liquefied natural gas (LNG) coalition with a series of press releases and policy documents, which framed LNG exports to Asia as a generational opportunity to revive many rural BC communities and generate much-needed employment growth
Proponents deliver an optimistic message that expanding shale gas extraction and launching LNG exports to Asia will bring substantial economic benefits to BC and help to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

Summary

Introduction

Shale gas extraction via hydraulic fracturing (hereafter as “fracking”) has drawn widespread scholarly and public attention over the past decade. In British Columbia (BC)—Canada’s westernmost province—the provincial government has made relentless pushes for developing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry since late 2011, in which the previously unrecoverable shale gas reserves in the BC interior region will be extracted via fracking, transported to coastal LNG terminals, and exported to swiftly growing Asian markets, notably Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and India (BC Ministry of Energy and Mines, 2012; Chen & Gunster, 2016; Lee, 2014a). The BC NDP minority government has inherited the LNG agenda and continued to promote it among potential investors, the outcomes have been disappointing to many BC

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Conclusion