The information and educational project “Together about shales” ["Razem o łupkach" / "A consensus on shale gas"] is just gathering its momentum. The shale gas situation is dynamically improving in Poland; changes in the Ministry for the Environment , along with the European Commission’s recommendation on the exploration and production of hydrocarbons (such as shale gas) using high volume hydraulic fracturing in the EU, mean new challenges for “Together about shales”.

The aim and idea of “Together about shales” – to actively educate through social dialog
– is being efficiently implemented and is in full swing. In April - the 7th round of meetings in Local Dialogue Committees will take place. So far more than 750 people have taken part in these meetings. The participants: local inhabitants, representatives of local authorities, investors, concession-holders and other interested stakeholders take part in regular debates on the various and sometimes controversial aspects of shale gas prospection and production. Through this process they learn how to compromise and how to come to a common agreement.

A new initiative has become a source of inspiration for many discussions. Over the last couple of months there has been the chance for online live chat with an expert – a possibility to talk with specialists in fields connected to shale gas exploration and exploitation. So far participants have had the possibility of consultation with an advocate, a geologist, a shale gas market expert and a water solutions expert. All in all, online discussions have lasted more than 80 hours.

The web portal razemolupkach.org is really effective and delivers up-to-date information daily: from news and reports, to changes in law and information on the project itself. Our website has so far been visited by almost 50,000 people, most of whom have entered it regularly. 38 newsletters have been sent reaching almost 10,000 people. More than 650 articles, news items and reports have been written.

Our team is now focused on organizing a photo contest for the pupils of secondary and post-secondary schools. Photography vernissage and a summary of the work of the Local Dialog Committees will take place during the seven local conferences this autumn. At the conferences we will also summarize the work of Local Dialog Committees, transfer the effects of their work to the rest of the community and close the “Together about Shales” project.

RAZEM O ŁUPKACH - TOGETHER ABOUT SHALES

The program of active environmental education and an awareness campaign for the shale gas extraction process, based on the model of social participation - "Razem o łupkach" has been prepared in response to both the real needs of local communities and the limited reliable sources of information on shale gas.

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

Only a fraction of the planned drilling for shale gas resources has so far been estimated. Since the works began many conflicts between companies, local government and local communities have arisen, however. Conflicts are mainly based around residents’ fear of negative environmental effects from both the exploration and the production of natural gas. These concerns are compounded by a low level of knowledge among local community representatives and the lack of environmental education and dialog tools that could improve this situation.

The presented solution focuses on activating and educating the local community, so they will be equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to evaluate both the investor’s works and the risks posed by gas extraction. The transfer of knowledge and skills through self-organization and other educational tasks will take place in the Local Dialog Committees (LDC). The program aims to create seven local committees: the Pomeranian districts of Kartuzy, Lębork, Wejherowo, Radziejów and Rypin along with the districts of Braniewo and Elbląg in Masuria.

The project’s regional partners are Torun Ecology Association "Tilia" and The Energy Agency of Warminsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship Ltd. Their combined experience in education and their knowledge in the fields of ecology and energy provides strong support to the program. Grassroot initiatives, carrying out the program "Razem o łupkach", ensure not only independence but also credibility, objectivity and balance around these sensitive socioeconomic and environmental issues.

DIALOG INSTEAD OF PROPAGANDA

The methodology of activities is based upon an innovative combination of active environmental education, participation, conscious process and content design and the acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities. Thanks to social engagement and participation, the efficiency of the information and education process is much higher, compared with alternative ways of communication. We propose this pro-active approach, based on the bottom-up involvement of participants in the educational process instead of ready-made educational materials with pre-determined content, forwarded to a passive audience.

Using dialog, along with participation in the learning process helps us to discover the educational needs, expectations and interests of local communities. This in turn allows us to match the content better to the actual needs of the residents.

Therefore, a key tool used in the educational process as mentioned above is the Local Dialogue Committee, as it is broadly understood that dialog is the best way to learn and acquire necessary skills and knowledge.

Using this participatory approach as the active tool for environmental education we refer
to best practices used successfully for many years in other countries and that in recent times are becoming increasingly popular in Poland.

This approach is uniquely advantageous to the highly sensitive topic of shale gas. It allows for the independent development of individual opinions, unrestricted by the organizers, as well as the investigation of information required by the participants themselves. This is particularly important, considering the controversial nature of the subject matter and the lack of consensus among experts. Therefore, in the prepared program, the content remains open. Participants are this way better able to define what kind of information, knowledge and skills they need.

The “Razem o łupkach" program is designed to raise public awareness through:

• Local Dialog Committee activities;
• broad access to independent experts and research center opinions;
• the opportunity to exchange the views and experiences of local communities;
• the initiation of debate and dialog;
• engaging with young people and children.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

All information about the program can be found on the information service website [only available in Polish]: razemolupkach.org
Duration of program: 01.04.2013 - 21.12.2014.

"Together about Shales" is a project funded by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Warsaw and three Regional Funds for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Gdańsk, Toruń and Olsztyn.