public perception

In the August Oil and Gas Facilities, I wrote about the inherency of poetry in our work and how it helps define who we are. In this issue, I share a remarkable example of poetry at work in the mind and heart of an engineer and how it resonated with people and helped to change an industry.

Energy development projects that affect local communities frequently face opposition. This article describes an approach to dealing with local communities that has proved effective.

The public views the oil industry negatively without being aware of or understanding how many things in their daily lives come from oil.

The challenges the industry faces are not only or even primarily technical—they have to do with how the industry sees and communicates with the public, and with demands from the public to have a voice in decision making. This article explores the barriers to engaging with the public.