Scientists turn to crowdfunding for fracking research

 

A scientist from the University of Missouri who recently found elevated levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals in parts of Garfield County, Colo. where spills of wastewater from natural gas drilling occurred is now planning the second phase of her research, but with a surprising funding mechanism this time. Rather than seeking backing from government agencies or private foundations, Dr. Susan Nagel and her team are drumming up donations in the same way that many before them have started small businesses, made documentary films, or produced t-shirts adorned with images of Miley Cyrus twerking: they’re crowdfunding their research through a new website called Experiment.com.

Nagel’s crowdfunding attempt – she’s seeking $25,000, has raised about $11,000 since March 24 and has 36 days to go – represents at least the fourth time in recent years that U.S. scientists have turned to the general public for financial help researching the health effects of the gas drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking (which involves pumping a slurry of water, sand and chemicals into the ground to release oil or gas). Earlier this year, a team of researchers from the University of Washington raised $12,000 through Experiment.com to study how much gas drilling contributes to ozone in Utah’s Uinta Basin, and last year a team from Pennsylvania’s Juniata College raised $10,000 to examine the impact of fracking on stream ecology throughout the state. Another Experiment.com campaign by a University of Colorado biologist seeking to use microorganisms to see whether methane in drinking water came from fracking failed after falling short of its funding goal back in March.

Nagel’s own research centers on the link between fracking and endocrine disrupting chemicals, which either mimic or interfere with sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone and have been linked to cancer, infertility and behavioral and immune system disorders. In their recent study, Nagel and her colleagues tested 12 of the hundreds of chemicals commonly used in the fracking process and found that 11 of those tested had endocrine disrupting potential. Yet no research to date has shown definitively that fracking can result in damages to human health.

At a time when the government's own research on fracking is coming under fire from both sides of the political spectrum, industry-funded studies on the topic remain suspect and relatively little other financing for such research exists, crowdfunding is emerging as a way for some researchers to launch early stage work on the relationship between fracking, pollution and health.

Fracking for natural gas on the Haynesville Shale near Shreveport, Louisiana. Photograph by Flickr user Daniel Foster.

Nagel said she was driven toward crowdfunding in part by the paucity of federal money for fracking research. “US EPA announced three years ago that they would be funding research about the safety of fracking,” wrote Nagel in an email, referring to the Environmental Protection Agency. “However, before they began accepting applications, that program was canceled. ” Though Nagel said the agency gave no explanation for that decision, she suspects the lack of federal funding for fracking research has political roots: the EPA has frequently been blasted by prominent Republican critics for its investigations into whether fracking pollutes drinking water, and President Barack Obama often cites the job-creating potential of the domestic oil and gas industry, whose parade would certainly be rained on by bad news about the health effects of drilling.

In phase two of her research, Nagel hopes to collect water samples from at least 30 Garfield County sites (she sampled from just seven in the first phase) and to measure endocrine disruptor levels in drilling dense areas where spills haven’t taken place. She also hopes to launch a comprehensive analysis of whether the hormone disrupting compounds she detects are some of the same ones used in the fracking process.

Nagel recently applied for a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), but after the scientists reviewing her application suggested several tweaks – recommending, for example, that she also test for hormones affecting the human thyroid gland – Nagel was forced to re-apply in the coming months and wait a year for the next round of NIH funding.

“Facing such a long delay, we decided to turn to crowdfunding to raise money in a much shorter period of time,” Nagel said.

The speed and flexibility of crowdfunding science is one of its main selling points, but Nagel still sees crowdfunding as more of a supplement to government research grants than a substitute.

“Our ultimate goal is to generate enough preliminary data [through crowdfunding] that we can get that NIH grant and be able to do this kind of research for years to come,” she says. “Experiment.com is filling a little niche there of funding preliminary research.”

Whether crowd-funded research is less susceptible to bias or influence peddling than work funded by industry – or even government – remains to be seen. It seems logical that a large and diverse donor pool would tend to dilute the influence of individual agendas: The University of Washington study of fracking and air quality, for instance, had 155 unique donors and the average donation was just $77.23 – hardly enough to bribe even an impoverished scientist.

Experiment.com also has a technical committee that reviews each research project before accepting it as a crowdfunding candidate: the group evaluates the validity of the research question, the scope and feasibility of the project, and the credentials of the scientist in charge.

Even so, if those who fund fracking research are primarily the people adversely affected by drilling or critical of the practice to begin with, could that put pressure on researchers to point fingers at the gas industry in their results?

Experiment.com spokeswoman Rebecca Searles doesn’t think so.

“You're right, there is definitely some bias in crowdfunding,” she wrote in an email. “People are more likely to fund research that they feel an emotional attachment to. But we actually think crowdfunding bias is an improvement over partial blind peer-review panels where the real bias is conflict of interest or politics or risk aversion or bureaucracy or ageism, etc. Crowdfunding, on the other hand, only requires that enough people care to see it happen.”

Nelson Harvey is a freelance reporter and the editor of edibleASPEN magazine.

High Country News Classifieds
  • INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS EDITOR - HIGH COUNTRY NEWS
    High Country News is hiring an Indigenous Affairs Editor to help guide the magazine's journalism and produce stories that are important to Indigenous communities and...
  • STAFF ATTORNEY
    Staff Attorney The role of the Staff Attorney is to bring litigation on behalf of Western Watersheds Project, and at times our allies, in the...
  • ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
    Northern Michigan University seeks an outstanding leader to serve as its next Assistant Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion. With new NMU President Dr. Brock...
  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    The Clark Fork Coalition seeks an exceptional leader to serve as its Executive Director. This position provides strategic vision and operational management while leading a...
  • GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENT MANAGER
    Help uphold a groundbreaking legal agreement between a powerful mining corporation and the local communities impacted by the platinum and palladium mine in their backyard....
  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    The Feather River Land Trust (FRLT) is seeking a strategic and dynamic leader to advance our mission to "conserve the lands and waters of the...
  • COLORADO DIRECTOR
    COLORADO DIRECTOR Western Watersheds Project seeks a Colorado Director to continue and expand WWP's campaign to protect and restore public lands and wildlife in Colorado,...
  • DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY: WYOMING, MONTANA AND UTAH
    Digital Media Specialist - WY, MT, UT OFFICE LOCATION Remote and hybrid options available. Preferred locations are MT, WY or UT, but applicants from anywhere...
  • GRANT WRITER (PART-TIME, FREELANCE CONTRACT) HIGH COUNTRY NEWS
    High Country News seeks an energetic, articulate and highly organized grant writer to support a growing foundations program. This position works closely with our Executive...
  • ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF HISTORY - INDIGENOUS HISTORIES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WEST
    Whitman College seeks applicants for a tenure-track position in Indigenous Histories of the North American West, beginning August 2024, at the rank of Assistant Professor....
  • DAVE AND ME
    Dave and Me, by international racontuer and children's books author Rusty Austin, is a funny, profane and intense collection of short stories, essays, and poems...
  • CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
    Rural Community Assistance Corporation is looking to hire a CFO. For more more information visit: https://www.rcac.org/careers/
  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    The Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation (ABWF) seeks a new Executive Director. Founded in 2008, the ABWF is a respected nonprofit whose mission is to support...
  • CANYONLANDS FIELD INSTITUTE
    Field seminars for adults in natural and human history of the northern Colorado Plateau, with lodge and base camp options. Small groups, guest experts.
  • COMING TO TUCSON?
    Popular vacation house, everything furnished. Two bedroom, one bath, large enclosed yards. Dog-friendly. Contact Lee at [email protected] or 520-791-9246.
  • ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSTRUCTION GEOPHYSICS
    We characterize contaminated sites, identify buried drums, tanks, debris and also locate groundwater.
  • LUNATEC HYDRATION SPRAY BOTTLE
    A must for campers and outdoor enthusiasts. Cools, cleans and hydrates with mist, stream and shower patterns. Hundreds of uses.
  • LUNATEC ODOR-FREE DISHCLOTHS
    are a must try. They stay odor-free, dry fast, are durable and don't require machine washing. Try today.
  • WESTERN NATIVE SEED
    Native plant seeds for the Western US. Trees, shrubs, grasses, wildflowers and regional mixes. Call or email for free price list. 719-942-3935. [email protected] or visit...
  • ATTORNEY AD
    Criminal Defense, Code Enforcement, Water Rights, Mental Health Defense, Resentencing.