Debates, Transparency, and Participatory Governance
Project Summary
Many future-oriented industries are dependent on helium, such as in space exploration, microchip manufacturing, and superconductor cooling. However, global supplies of this rare-earth element are also in fast decline. Recent discoveries in northeast Arizona have some calling our state the “Saudi Arabia” of helium as private investors actively apply for drilling permits. Many who live in these areas believe helium extraction poses a risk to the environment and public health, with particular concerns focusing on the proximity of drilling to groundwater sources and aquifers. However, others believe helium extraction is a boon for rural economic development and a new beneficial phase in the state’s long-standing relationship with natural resource development.
This research project, begun in August 2018, investigates emerging debates surrounding helium extraction. Of interest to the research is how public discourse varyingly articulates the technologies and processes likely to be used in helium extraction, described differently as “acid jet stimulation,” “acid jet fracturing,” and “acid fracking,” by industry, regulators, and environmental activists — with implications for how these processes are connected with public understanding of fracking for oil and gas in shale plays across the U.S. Also of interest to the research is how new federal rules governing environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and limited state resources have complicated how communities come to understand these issue and seek to participate in regulatory decision making.
Projects emerging from this research have included:
- working with community partners in collaborative research projects to navigate the complex array of available information about gas extraction.
- Developing educational materials, as seen in the below information sheets.
- Building tools that expand opportunities for public understanding and engagement in environmental governance. Two ongoing efforts include a film project, the first segment of which is show below, and an educational board game currently under development.
Recent Publications
Jalbert, K., Ball, K., Bruhis, N., Hegde, S., & Test, L. (2021). Building Capacity for Action-Oriented Research in Arizona’s Helium Extraction Boom. Engaging Science, Technology, and Society, 7(2), 33-55.
Ball, K., Jalbert, K., & Test, L. (2021). Making the board: participatory game design for environmental action. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 11(1), 12-22.
Helium Rising Film Project
This film project seeks to document current discussions related to helium extraction in northeastern Arizona. This public engagement project, led by graduate research assistant Noa Bruhis, explores differing stakeholder perceptions of helium extraction through the production of short 3-5 minute informational films. These films combine whiteboard illustrations with footage from filmed interviews, field site visits, archival materials, and other sources to interrogate the shared and personal perceptions of helium extraction, how communication within and between groups influences these imaginaries, and how imagery is used to conceptualize, communicate, and mobilize prospective futures. Importantly, the content and narratives of the films will be co-designed with stakeholders from regulatory agencies, industry, and a diverse group of community members in the Holbrook Basin. Learn more about Helium Rising here.
Helium Futures the Game
The idea of developing a “serious” game emerged from the workshops as a way for people to navigate the complex technological, political, and social system around helium extraction. Unlike prior extraction-related games that emphasize accumulations of wealth, Helium Futures encourages players to think about the long-term trajectories and futures of their community. The game represents various perspectives in a balanced way, facilitating conversations grounded in contemporary events occurring in Arizona and other oil and gas states. The game is being co-designed with the advocacy group No Fracking Arizona (NFAZ). Learn more about Helium Futures here.
