摘要：Data collected in a general population survey from a random sample of individuals in Tarrant County,Texas, were used to empirically examine issues associated with public perception of the natural gas industry.Further, the associations of public perception of the energy industry with individual actions that (a) may or maynot have been taken and/or (b) may or may not be taken in response to the exploration and production ofnatural gas were investigated. Echoing findings from research in two neighboring Barnett Shale counties(Theodori 2009), members of the public in Tarrant County appear to dislike certain potentially problematicsocial and/or environmental issues perceived to accompany natural gas development. Conversely, these sameTarrant County residents view less negatively the economic and/or service-related benefits that often resultfrom such development. Moreover, the results of this study suggest that the social/environmental perceptualvariable is a key factor in explaining past behaviors and predicting future behaviors taken in response to theexploration and production of natural gas. Possible implications of these findings are proposed
