Consumer insight group Pondering Panda says two thirds of young South Africans have little or no idea what what hydraulic fracking is. The group says in a statement it conducted a survey after Cabinet lifted a moratorium on applications to explore for shale gas in the Karoo.
“Of those who claimed they had heard of fracking, only 25 percent thought it referred to a method of extracting natural gas from under the ground. About 34 percent thought fracking was a way to protect yourself from sunburn, while a further 26 percent believed it was a
type of sexual activity.”
Close to 3000 young people were surveyed via the Mxit social media platform. “Both government and business need to do more to educate the public about fracking — both its economic benefits and potential environmental dangers,” Wakefield said.
“Where people do have reservations about fracking, these should be addressed to ensure support for any future project from the people it will affect most,” the group said.
