Where's the justice?: The need for critical social science across US food-energy-water systems as illustrated by unconventional drilling

Abstract

The US has extensively expanded unconventional oil and gas (UOG) drilling since 2017, becoming the top global producer of hydrocarbons. Yet, as US-based UOG production dominates, we know little about its effects, particularly its intersections with US food and water systems. I assert that a critical, social science-based Food-Energy-Water systems (FEWs) analysis of US UOG production is needed to better account for its multi-scalar, systemic impacts. It's crucial to identifying multi-sector drivers of climate emergency and environmental injustice and to finding just solutions to those crises. The analytical approach I offer here—the EJ-CJ FEWs Nexus Venn Diagram—is useful across energy types. I review patterned gaps in general FEW systems research. I show how US UOG production epitomizes the FEWs nexus, then review uncritical and critical research of UOG production's FEWs nexus impacts. I then offer an initial conceptualization of an intersectional, justice-centered framework—the EJ-CJ FEWs Nexus Venn Diagram—to show how critical social scientific approaches help facilitate intersectional perspectives that center EJ and CJ, illustrating the latter with a brief case study on UOG production's EJ and CJ impacts at the FEWs nexus in Colorado. Overall, I visualize paths for critical, intersectional social science of FEW systems.