Where's the justice?: The need for critical social science across US food-energy-water systems as illustrated by unconventional drilling

The US has extensively expanded unconventional oil and gas (UOG) drilling since 2017, becoming the top global producer of hydrocarbons. Yet, as US-based UOG production dominates, we know little about its effects, particularly its intersections with US food and water systems. I assert that a critical, social science-based FoodEnergy-Water systems (FEWs) analysis of US UOG production is needed to better account for its multi-scalar, systemic impacts. It's crucial to identifying multi-sector drivers of climate emergency and environmental injustice and to finding just solutions to those crises. The analytical approach I offer here-the EJ-CJ FEWs Nexus Venn Diagram-is useful across energy types. I review patterned gaps in general FEW systems research. I show how US UOG production epitomizes the FEWs nexus, then review uncritical and critical research of UOG production's FEWs nexus impacts. I then offer an initial conceptualization of an intersectional, justice-centered framework-the EJ-CJ FEWs Nexus Venn Diagram-to show how critical social scientific approaches help facilitate intersectional perspectives that center environmental justice (EJ) and climate justice (CJ). I illustrate the latter with a brief case study on UOG production's EJ and CJ impacts at the FEWs nexus in Colorado. Overall, I visualize paths for critical, intersectional social science of FEW systems.