chevron pulse report: 1q 2010 edition - the state of the online energy conversation
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The online conversation about energy is 3 times larger than it was a year ago. The Chevron Pulse Report examines the state of this online conversation. What are the issues? What are the hot topics? Where are the discussions taking place? The 1Q 2010 report helps you understand how the online conversation about energy has evolved from October 2008 to March 2010. To see the full Pulse Report, please visit http://www.chevronpulsereport.com .TRANSCRIPT
1Q 2010 Edition
October 2008 – March 2010
© 2010 Chevron Corporation
Table of Contents
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 2 Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
The Chevron Pulse Report(TM) is © 2010 Chevron Corporation. All rights reserved. Chevron hereby grants to any person a royalty-free license to copy the Report in whole or in part.
Your license is conditioned upon providing attribution to Chevron (e.g. “Source: Chevron Pulse Report, 1Q 2010 Edition”).
1. Overview 3The Energy Conversation 3
Methodology 4
Executive Summary 8
The Online Energy Conversation Volume 10
Timeline of the Energy Conversation 11
Volume and Net Sentiment 13
Sentiment Trends 14
Online Conversation Platforms Volume 15
Growth of the Twitter Conversation 16
2. Energy Resources 17Summary 18
Topics 19
Volume and Net Sentiment 21
Volume of Online Conversations 22
Net Sentiment and Sentiment Volume 23
Sentiment Trends 24
Access 25
Energy Reserves 27
Energy Security 29
Influencers 31
3. Energy and Technology 32Summary 33
Topics 34
Volume and Net Sentiment 37
Volume of Online Conversations 38
Net Sentiment and Sentiment Volume 39
Sentiment Trends 40
Energy Efficiency 41
Technology and Innovation 43
Alternatives and Renewables 45
Influencers 47
4. Energy and Environment 48Summary 49
Topics 50
Volume and Net Sentiment 52
Volume of Online Conversations 53
Net Sentiment and Sentiment Volume 54
Sentiment Trends 55
Environment, Resources and Policy 56
Climate Change 58
Influencers 60
5. Join the Online Conversation 61
6. Addendum 62
As we explored in our first edition (July 2008 – December
2009) of The Chevron Pulse Report: The State of Online
Conversation about Energy Issues, energy is one of the
most important issues of our time. It shapes the world we live in
today and the future that we will share. The online conversation
about energy is robust, diverse, passionate and dynamic,
evolving alongside the medium itself.
During the first quarter of 2010, there were 450 million people
on Facebook, approximately 100 million people on Twitter and
there were 9.2 million posts* about energy that emerged across
online platforms. Furthermore, from October 1, 2008 through
March 31, 2010, there were 30 million posts about energy.
In the summer of 2008, Chevron partnered with Edelman to
gain a better understanding of the online conversation about
energy topics. Together, Chevron and Edelman identified
more than 50 key energy issues and conversation topics.
Working with Alterian’s SM2 social media monitoring tool, we
began analyzing the focus, volume and sentiment of the online
conversation about these issues across blogs, discussion
forums and social networks, including sites such as Twitter,
Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Flickr.
Chevron has been using the information to stay informed
about energy topics that are important to people participating
in the online community.
Edelman and Chevron are excited to share the second
edition of The Chevron Pulse Report with you. This edition
examines energy conversation trends that occurred over the
18-month period of October 1, 2008 through March 31, 2010.
We also took a closer look at the first quarter of 2010 and
analyzed how the results differed from the fourth quarter of
2009.
The quarterly report is a way to understand and articulate how
the online conversation about energy has evolved. Edelman
placed a lot of emphasis on charts that translate the
conversation into simple visuals, understanding that it is
nearly impossible to represent 30 million conversations in a
handful of words.
Chevron and Edelman hope you find the information
interesting and helpful.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 3Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
*The term “posts” is used generically to represent a piece of online content, such as a blog post, tweet, photo, video or discussion comment.
OverviewThe Energy Conversation
OverviewMethodology: Scope
Scope
Edelman conducted a quantitative and qualitative
analysis of the volume and sentiment of the global,
English-speaking online conversation about energy
issues from October 1, 2008 through March 31, 2010,
focusing on eight major issues within three broad
categories:
Energy Resources – Access; Energy Reserves;
Energy Security
Energy and Technology – Energy Efficiency;
Technology and Innovation; Alternatives and
Renewables
Energy and Environment – Environment, Resources
and Policy; Climate Change
These three categories were chosen because they were
the broadest terms that applied to the most relevant
conversations about energy.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 4Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
*Each calendar year is divided into four consecutive three-month periods known as "quarters." The first quarter (1Q) begins January 1 and goes through March 31. The second quarter (2Q) is April 1
through June 30. The third quarter (3Q) is July 1 through September 30. The fourth and final quarter for each respective year (4Q) occurs from October 1 through December 31.
Within these eight issues, we examined 74 subtopics,
ranging in size from a few hundred posts to more than
a million.
The analysis was conducted on a quarterly* basis. There
were six quarters during the18-month period, beginning
with 4Q08 and ending with 1Q10. Edelman examined
changes in volume and sentiment for each subtopic for
each quarter.
OverviewMethodology: Quantitative Analysis
Quantitative Analysis of the Conversation Volume
The amount of online conversation about energy is vast,
and there is no objective way of measuring precisely how
many posts there are for a given period. Google has
indexed billions of webpages, but even they could not
provide a comprehensive number of pages, posts or
comments. Each search engine and social media
monitoring tool collects posts a little bit differently.
Edelman captured and analyzed enough of the online
conversation in order to make confident and reasonable
assertions about the volume and sentiment of the
discussion. Edelman worked with developers to construct
a series of Julian date searches that pulled information
on the number of posts about specific topics over a given
period of time. The searches were built on Boolean
taxonomies, which were developed and tested for each
of the 74 subtopics, in order to reduce or eliminate false
positives in the search results.
Edelman used Google’s Advanced Search features
to catalogue blogs, social networks (e.g., Facebook,
MySpace) and social media sites (e.g., YouTube,
Flickr, Revver, Vimeo), as well as Boardreader for
discussion forums. Note: Only public Facebook pages
were indexed, in accordance with the site’s Terms of
Service.
Using this methodology, 30 million posts about
Energy Resources, Energy and Technology, and
Energy and Environment were identified from
October 2008 through March 2010.
Searches were run in triplicate to ensure data integrity.
The volume also was manually cross-referenced with
results pulled by Alterian’s SM2* social media monitoring
tool to determine whether there were inconsistencies in
the relative volume of subtopics in relation to each other.
For example, if there were 1 million posts in Google
about a topic, but only 500 posts in SM2, this would
signal a likely data query error. In such instances,
queries would be reconstructed and redeployed.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 5
*SM2 is a social media monitoring and analysis tool that tracks and measures online conversations across blogs, forums and social media platforms based on volume, sentiment and influence.
Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
OverviewMethodology: Qualitative Analysis
Qualitative Analysis of the Conversation Sentiment
While the Julian date searches on Google and
Boardreader provide reasonable assurance of the volume
of conversations about the issues we examined, neither
platform offers the ability to evaluate the sentiment of said
conversations. Because we were examining such a
sizable conversation, it would be untenable to manually
rate the tone and sentiment of each of these posts. Thus,
the semantic engine of Alterian’s SM2 social media
monitoring tool was used to evaluate the sentiment
of the online conversation about each issue.
Edelman is confident in the tool’s native capabilities, but
wanted to provide additional assurance that the tool was
properly rating issue-oriented conversations. These types
of conversations can differ in sentiment and tone from
consumer- or product-oriented discussions.
In August 2008, Edelman conducted a quantitative survey
of the online conversation about energy issues. This
established the relative volume of conversation about
energy issues over a seven-month period, from January 1
through July 31, 2008. We drew a randomized qualitative
sample of posts from the larger quantitative pool in order
to gain insight into the tone and trends in the conversation
about these topics.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 6Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
The items were selected based on topical relevance.
They were weighted according to the predominance of
subtopics in relation to one another so that the sample
reflected the volumes identified in the quantitative
analysis. For example, if the subtopic Biofuels made
up 20 percent of the quantitative sample for the
discussion of the topic Alternatives and Renewables,
then 20 percent of the qualitative sample for this topic
focused on Biofuels. Additionally, the samples were
weighted by date to reflect individual conversation
trends where possible.
More than 5,000 posts were pulled to make up the
sample used in the 2008 survey. A team of 10
conversation analysts manually reviewed the posts
and scored them on a 5-point Likert Scale for overall
sentiment as well as sentiment on specific issues,
where:
1 = Very unfavorable
2 = Unfavorable
3 = Neutral
4 = Favorable
5 = Very favorable
OverviewMethodology: Qualitative Analysis, continued
For example, a post that was very favorable about
Alternatives and Renewables but very unfavorable about
Wave Power would be scored “5” for Alternatives, “1” for
Wave Power and “4” overall. The overall score was based
on the general tone of the article; it was not merely an
average of the individual scores. Further, net sentiment
was calculated based on a weighted average of positive
and negative sentiment.
The analysts also developed a detailed taxonomy of
trigger words that signaled why the post was positive or
negative in sentiment. This dictionary of more than 1,000
words was combined with SM2’s existing semantic
dictionary in order to provide heightened assurance that
the semantic engine was properly scoring conversations.
Edelman reviewed a sample of the conversations scored
by SM2 and is confident in its semantic scoring. This
methodology was applied to the evaluation of six previous
quarterly reviews of the online conversation about energy
issues.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 7Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
For the purposes of the Pulse Report, SM2 scored
9.7 million posts across 74 subtopics over an 18-
month period. Comparing this analysis with other
evaluations of the online conversation about specific
issues, Edelman is confident that this examination
represents one of the most comprehensive analyses of
online conversation available.
OverviewExecutive Summary: October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
There were 30 million posts about Energy
Resources, Energy and Technology and
Energy and Environment from October 1,
2008 through March 31, 2010.
Using Alterian’s SM2 social media monitoring
tool, Edelman analyzed the sentiment of 9.7
million posts from October 1, 2008 through
March 31, 2010. The average sentiment of
this sample was neutral: 2.95 on a 5.00 Likert
scale.
The majority of the online conversation
evaluated over the 18-month period was
generated on blogs, followed by discussion
forums, videos sites, social networks and
Twitter.
Energy and Technology had the only
positive online conversation among the
three categories analyzed throughout the 18-
month period.
Of the eight issue areas*, Climate Change –
within the Energy and Environment
category – had the largest volume of
online conversation from October 2008
through March 2010 with 7.6 million posts;
however, it also became more negative
throughout 2009 and into 2010.
Sentiment fell for each of the last four
quarters for Energy and Environment and
the last three quarters for Energy
Resources. Energy and Environment
continued to be the most negative of the three
categories for the duration of the 18-month
period.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 8Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
*See page 4 for a list of the eight issue areas.
OverviewExecutive Summary: January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
During the first quarter of 2010, conversation
was largely driven by political and
economic events (e.g., the World Future
Energy Summit). Additionally, negotiations
and announcements surrounding energy
legislation and proposals (e.g., tax credits for
boosting green jobs) took shape around
Energy Resources, Energy and Technology,
and Energy and Environment.
The volume of online conversation grew
rapidly during the first quarter of 2010
compared to the fourth quarter of 2009,
increasing 71.5 percent to 9.2 million posts
from 5.4 million posts. With the exception of
video sites, there was an increase in
conversation across all online platforms.
Energy Resources experienced the largest
increase in volume in the first quarter of
2010, growing 139 percent to approximately
1 million posts.
Whereas Energy and Environment became the
most prominent of the major categories in online
discussion during the last quarter of 2009, it was
surpassed by Energy and Technology during the
first quarter of 2010.
Following the Copenhagen climate summit, a
shift in the online energy conversation
emerged, as discussions about Alternatives and
Renewables, Sustainability and Energy
Efficiency began to generate additional interest
among people talking about energy online.
A notable rise in online conversation volume for
Access occurred during the first quarter of 2010,
where there was a 178 percent increase in
discussion (approximately 221,000 posts). Within
this key topic, there were significant increases in
dialogue about Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,
Natural Gas and Outer Continental Shelf,
respectively.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 9Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
OverviewThe Online Energy Conversation Volume
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 10 Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
There were 30 million online posts about Energy Resources, Energy and Technology, and Energy and Environment from
October 2008 through March 2010. Of those 30 million posts, 9.2 million occurred from January 2010 through March 2010,
the most recent quarter examined in the Pulse Report. Energy and Technology comprised the largest share of the
conversation during the 18-month period as well as the most recent quarter.
Last 3 Months
Chart 1.1
Last 18 Months
OverviewTimeline of the Energy Conversation
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 11Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Chart 1.2
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OverviewTimeline of the Energy Conversation
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 12Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Chart 1.3
Low Volume/
Negative Sentiment
Low Volume/
Positive Sentiment
High Volume/
Negative Sentiment
High Volume/
Positive Sentiment
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Environment, Resources and Policy
Climate Change Alternatives and Renewables
Technology and Innovation
Energy Reserves
Energy Efficiency
Access
Energy Security
Chart 1.4
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Sentiment of Online Conversations
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
OverviewVolume and Net Sentiment of Online Conversations About Energy
Online conversation about Alternatives and Renewables was the highest in volume during the first quarter of 2010.
Technology and Innovation was the most positive in sentiment, while Climate Change was the most negative.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 13Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
OverviewSentiment Trends of Online Conversations About Energy
The sentiment of the online conversation about most of the eight issue areas we examined fell in the last quarter of 2009
and continued to drop slightly during the first quarter of 2010. Climate Change continued to be the most negative in tone,
while Technology and Innovation became the most positive issue, surpassing Energy Efficiency.
8 Issue Areas 4Q08 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10
Environment, Resources
and Policy
3.09 3.32 3.19 3.30 3.10 3.12
Climate Change 2.39 2.68 2.54 2.46 2.33 2.18
Alternatives and
Renewables
2.95 3.31 3.39 3.42 3.32 3.25
Energy Efficiency 3.30 3.53 3.58 3.70 3.60 3.29
Technology and
Innovation3.30 3.59 3.60 3.33 3.46 3.44
Access 2.41 2.66 2.64 2.72 2.66 2.54
Energy Reserves 2.58 2.72 2.80 2.75 2.54 2.45
Energy Security 3.35 2.79 2.88 2.79 2.61 2.64
Chart 1.5
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Positive
Negative
Positive (3.10–5.00)
Neutral (2.90–3.09)
Negative (1.00–2.89)
Sentiment Trends of Online Conversations Legend: >0.10 Change:
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 14Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
OverviewOnline Conversation Platforms Volume
Blogs generated the largest share of online energy conversation over the 18-month period, followed by discussion forums.
This trend continued during the first quarter of 2010. Conversation volume grew within each of the platform categories except
for Twitter. The overall volume of discussion about energy has increased in each of the last six quarters.
Chart 1.6*YouTube, Revver, Vimeo, Qik, Flickr; **Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, Digg; ***Boardreader
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 15Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
OverviewGrowth of the Twitter Conversation
While the number of people on Twitter continued to grow significantly over the 18-month period, the volume of
tweets regarding Energy and Technology and Energy and Environment dropped notably in the first quarter of 2010.
The number of tweets about Energy Resources rose slightly in the first quarter of 2010.
Chart 1.7
*Source: http://themetricsystem.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/cumulativeusers.jpg; http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/14/twitter-has-105779710-registered-users-adding-300k-a-day/
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 16Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 17Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
The Online Conversation About:
ENERGY RESOURCES
Energy ResourcesSummary of the Online Conversation
There were 2.9 million online conversations about Energy Resources during the 18-month period from October 2008 through March 2010. There were 1 million from January through March 2010.
Discussion of Energy Reserves comprised 65 percent of the online Energy Resources conversation during the 18-month period.
Within the Energy Reserves discussion, Capacity made up 44 percent of the conversation during the 18-month period and 31 percent of the discussion in the first quarter of 2010.
The volume of online conversations about Energy Resources increased 139 percent to approximately 1 million posts during the first quarter of 2010.
Within the Energy Resources discussion, Access and Energy Reserves experienced a significant increase in conversation volume – 178 percent growth and 139 percent growth, respectively.
During the first quarter of 2010, the online conversation about Energy Resources was negative, with a Likert rating of 2.51 out of 5.00. Of the three key topics, Energy Security was the least negative in sentiment (2.64).
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 18Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
KEY ENERGY RESOURCES TOPICS EXAMINED:
• Access
• Energy Reserves
• Energy Security
Access
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS): Oil or drilling in the
OCS, offshore areas that lie between the jurisdiction
of individual U.S. states and the federal government,
generally three miles to 200 miles off the coast.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Oil or
drilling in the ANWR, a 19-million-acre area that lies
in the northeast corner of Alaska, a portion of which
could be designated for oil and natural gas
exploration.
U.S. Domestic Access: Access to or exploration of
U.S. energy resources.
Oil Shale: An organic-rich sedimentary rock that can
be used to produce liquid hydrocarbons or converted
into various forms of oil.
Oil Sands: Unconventional oil that comprises a
natural mixture of sand, water and a form of
petroleum called bitumen.
Natural Gas: Natural gas supply in the United States.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 19Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy ResourcesTopics Explored in the Online Conversation
Energy Reserves
Energy Reserves: Reserves of energy resources,
including natural gas and oil. A reserve is the amount
of commercially recoverable energy still remaining at
a location.
Peak Oil: Defined as the point in time when the
maximum rate of extraction of the world’s petroleum
supply is met and subsequently followed by the
terminal decline of production.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR): America’s
storage of oil maintained by the U.S. Department of
Energy for future emergency situations involving U.S.
energy supply.
Capacity: The level of production for individual
refineries as well as total production for all refineries.
Refineries: Oil refineries or the oil refining process.
Energy Supply: The supply of energy resources,
such as oil or natural gas.
Energy Security
Energy Security: The issue of U.S. national security
involving energy, such as rising costs or limited
supplies.
Energy Independence: Energy independence or
energy dependence refers to whether a country can
rely on its own resources for energy production, or
turns to other countries for energy supplies.
“Foreign” Oil: Supplies of oil from non-U.S. sources.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 20Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy ResourcesTopics Explored in the Online Conversation, continued
Low Volume/
Negative Sentiment
Low Volume/
Positive Sentiment
High Volume/
Negative Sentiment
High Volume/
Positive Sentiment
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Energy Reserves
Access
Energy Security
Chart 2.1Sentiment of Online Conversations
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
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Energy ResourcesVolume and Net Sentiment of Online Conversations
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 21Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Of the three key Energy Resources topics examined, Energy Reserves continued to be the largest driver of online
discussion. It also was the most negative of the three topics with respect to the sentiment of online conversations.
Capacity comprised the largest share of the online conversation about Energy Resources during the first quarter of 2010,
followed by Energy Reserves and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
8.00%
1.39%
0.48%
3.65%
16.99%
5.90%
30.82%
2.50%
3.77%
3.11%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
OCS
U.S. Domestic Access
Oil Shale
Oil Sands
Energy Reserves
Peak Oil
Capacity
Energy Security
Energy Independence
"Foreign" Oil
Chart 2.2
10 Energy Resources Subtopics*
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
Percentage of Online Conversations About Energy Resources – 1 Million Total
*Ten of 15 Energy Resources subtopics
Energy ResourcesVolume of Online Conversations
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 22Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
OCS***
Positiv
eN
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Category
Net
Sentiment
Neutral
Volume
U.S.
Domestic
Access
Oil Shale Oil Sands Energy
ReservesPeak Oil Capacity Energy
Security
Energy
Independence“Foreign”
Oil
2,169
22668
627
1,522
623
2,213
472939
436
– 3,307
– 304– 94
– 1,528
– 3,732
– 1,441
– 3,132
– 424– 979
– 1,373
-5,000
-4,000
-3,000
-2,000
-1,000
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
Chart 2.3
10 Energy Resources Subtopics*
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
Sen
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*Ten of 15 Energy Resources subtopics
**Number of positive, negative and neutral posts rated by the SM2 social media monitoring tool
***Outer Continental Shelf
2.72 2.82 2.73 2.24 2.41 2.34 2.74 2.98 2.96 2.13
37,693 4,186 1,905 11,801 45,875 11,893 62,956 7,284 9,458 8,658
Energy Security was the most favorable conversation during the first quarter of 2010, with a neutral sentiment of 2.98,
followed closely by Energy Independence (2.96).
Energy ResourcesNet Sentiment and Sentiment Volume of Online Conversations
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 23Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy ResourcesSentiment Trends of Online Conversations
The sentiment of the online conversation about Energy Security and Energy Independence improved significantly
during the first quarter of 2010, while Oil Shale became significantly more negative in tone.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 24 Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
10 Energy Resources
Subtopics*
4Q08 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10
Outer Continental Shelf 2.69 2.70 2.76 3.05 2.96 2.79
U.S. Domestic Access 2.61 2.82 3.00 2.93 2.78 2.83
Oil Shale 1.64 2.26 2.35 2.46 3.34 2.68
Oil Sands 2.21 2.66 2.53 2.36 2.52 2.41
Energy Reserves 2.43 2.69 2.68 2.49 2.44 2.44
Peak Oil 2.72 2.48 2.33 2.39 2.27 2.35
Capacity 2.88 3.32 3.20 3.21 3.01 3.06
Energy Security 3.63 3.16 3.16 3.15 3.07 3.20
Energy Independence 3.08 3.23 3.31 3.18 2.91 3.12
“Foreign” Oil 2.36 2.23 2.40 2.20 2.19 2.23
Chart 2.4
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Positive
Negative
Sentiment Trends of Online Conversations Legend: >0.10 Change:Positive (3.10–5.00)
Neutral (2.90–3.09)
Negative (1.00–2.89)
*Ten of 39 Energy Resources subtopics
Low Volume/
Negative Sentiment
Low Volume/
Positive Sentiment
High Volume/
Negative Sentiment
High Volume/
Positive Sentiment
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
ANWR*
OCS
Oil Shale
U.S. Domestic Access
Oil Sands
Natural Gas
Chart 2.5Sentiment of Online Conversations
*Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
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Energy ResourcesAccess: Volume and Net Sentiment of Online Conversations
All subtopics related to Access were negative in sentiment during the first quarter of 2010. U.S. Domestic Access was the
least negative of subtopics during the quarter. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) generated the largest volume of conversation.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 25Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
4Q08 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10
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ANWR
Natural Gas
OCS
Oil Sands
U.S. Domestic Access
Access*
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Chart 2.6 *Five of six subtopics about Access
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 26Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy ResourcesAccess: Volume Trend of Online Conversations
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Natural Gas and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) saw steep increases in the volume of
online conversation during the first three months of 2010, increasing by 214 percent, 457 percent and 525 percent, respectively.
Low Volume/
Negative Sentiment
Low Volume/
Positive Sentiment
High Volume/
Negative Sentiment
High Volume/
Positive Sentiment
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
SPR*
Capacity
Energy Reserves
Energy SupplyPeak Oil
Refineries
Chart 2.7Sentiment of Online Conversations
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
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*Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Energy ResourcesEnergy Reserves: Volume and Net Sentiment of Online Conversations
Among the six Energy Reserves subtopics, Capacity was the highest in volume and least negative in sentiment during the
first quarter of 2010.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 27Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
4Q08 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10
On
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Capacity
Energy Reserves
Energy Supply
Peak Oil
Refineries
Energy Reserves*
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Chart 2.8
*Five of six subtopics about Energy Reserves
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 28Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy ResourcesEnergy Reserves: Volume Trend of Online Conversations
The volume of conversation about Capacity increased significantly during the first quarter of 2010 after falling in size during
the previous three quarters. Other subtopics increased in volume as well.
Low Volume/
Negative Sentiment
Low Volume/
Positive Sentiment
High Volume/
Negative Sentiment
High Volume/
Positive Sentiment
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Energy Independence
“Foreign” Oil
Energy Security
Chart 2.9Sentiment of Online Conversations
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
Vo
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Energy ResourcesEnergy Security: Volume and Net Sentiment of Online Conversations
During the first quarter of 2010, online conversation about Energy Independence sparked the highest volume of discussion.
Energy Security and Energy Independence were both neutral in sentiment, while the latter drove more conversation.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 29Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
4Q08 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10
On
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Energy Independence
Energy Security
"Foreign" Oil
Energy Security
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Chart 2.10
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 30Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy ResourcesEnergy Security: Volume Trend of Online Conversations
The volume of online conversation about Energy Security subtopics continued to rebound during the first quarter of 2010,
approaching levels not seen since the fourth quarter of 2008.
Energy ResourcesSample of Influencers Active in the Online Conversation
Blog Link Description
Consumer Energy Report
New Energy & Fuel
Crude Oil Insights
http://www.consumerenergyreport.com
http://newenergyandfuel.com
http://oilinsights.net
Features energy news, research, editorials, on all the topics of energy
including but not limited to crude oil, gas prices, and alternative energy.
Covers a wide range of topics and information for online users interested
in energy and fuels from a consumer or investor perspective.
Provides an unconventional look at crude oil prices, crude oil volatility and
supply and demand outlook.
National Review Energy
Experts Bloghttp://energy.nationaljournal.com/
Hosts a panel of energy industry experts who post and debate on national
energy and environmental issues.
True Blue Natural Gas http://www.truebluenaturalgas.org American Gas Association’s blog on natural gas and energy.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 31Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 32
The Online Conversation About:
ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy and TechnologySummary of the Online Conversation
There were nearly 5 million posts about Energy and Technology that surfaced online in the first three months of 2010. This is twice the volume of conversation compared to the last three months of 2009.
Over the course of 18 months, there were 15.1 million posts about Energy and Technology.
The tone of online conversation about Energy and Technology in the first quarter of 2010 was positive (3.31), though it was slightly lower than the fourth quarter of 2009 (3.41).
Discussions about Energy Efficiency generated the highest sentiment of the three key Energy and Technology topics.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 33Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
KEY ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY TOPICS EXAMINED:
• Energy Efficiency
• Technology and Innovation
• Alternatives and Renewables
The sentiment of online conversations
about all three key Energy and
Technology topics dropped from the
fourth quarter of 2009 to the first quarter
of 2010. Energy Efficiency had the most
notable decrease in sentiment.
Alternatives and Renewables led the
Energy and Technology conversation
during the 18-month period, garnering 43
percent (6.5 million) of the online
conversation.
Energy Efficiency
Energy Efficiency: Reducing the amount of energy
needed to perform a process, from heating a home to
powering a factory.
Fuel Efficiency: Efficiency of a particular vehicle
measured by its total output (e.g., mileage) in
comparison to amount of input (e.g., fuel). Also
related to fuel economy indicated by miles per gallon
(mpg) or kilometers per liter (km/L).
Energy Conservation: Reduction of energy
consumption.
Energy Efficiency Policy: Local, state and national
policies designed to reduce the amount of energy
used through incentives, tax credits and other policy
mechanisms.
Fuel Efficiency Policy: Regulations and legislation
at the local, state and national levels, such as
emissions performance standards, that are used to
set new thresholds in emission control technology.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 34Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy and TechnologyTopics Explored in the Online Conversation
Technology and Innovation
Deepwater: Exploring and producing oil and gas off
the coastline in water depths of 1,000 ft or more.
Energy Technologies: Technological processes or
innovations associated with producing energy.
Fuel Cell: An electrochemical cell that combines a
fuel source (e.g., hydrogen) with an oxidant (e.g.,
water) to produce an electrical current, commonly
used to power vehicles.
Directional Drilling: Drilling nonvertical wells that
can extract oil and natural gas from a single point
across a vast territory.
Gas-to-Liquids (GTL): Converting gaseous
compounds into hydrocarbon-based liquids such as
gasoline.
Intercropping: Energy industry’s adoption of the
agricultural practice of growing one crop between
the rows of another crop of a separate source;
commonly used to harvest biomass.
Steamflooding: Enhanced oil recovery process of
injecting steam into heavy-oil reservoirs to heat the
crude oil underground, reducing its viscosity and
allowing its extraction through wells.
Technology and Innovation, continued
Energy Innovation: Advancements made in the
development of energy sources.
Gasification: Producing gas from coal in order to
convert it into transportation fuels like gasoline or
diesel.
Solar-to-Steam: Generation of steam from captured
sunlight to carry out heavy oil extraction.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG): Liquid form of natural
gas for easier storage and/or transportation of natural
gas to markets.
Exploration and Development: Exploratory
ventures and developments of energy resources.
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Family of
technologies that provide capture and storage of
carbon dioxide emissions in deep geological
formations.
Carbon Capture: Capturing and compressing of
carbon dioxide in the CCS process.
Carbon Sequestration: Geo-engineering technique
used for the long-term storage of carbon dioxide.
Energy and TechnologyTopics Explored in the Online Conversation, continued
Cleantech: Energy products and services that
increase efficiency while reducing costs, energy
consumption and environmental impact.
Hydraulic fracturing: Recovery of natural gas and
oil from rock formations deep below the earth’s
surface through the injection of fluid pressure into
targeted fractures in the rock. This creates a path
between the reservoir to the well, increasing the
amount of oil and natural gas that can be recovered.
Seismic Imaging/Visualization: Three-dimensional
imaging of subsurface geology that helps petroleum
engineers identify possible oil– and gas–bearing
formations. The images show a reservoir at different
stages of depletion, allowing engineers to improve
recovery and produce resources more efficiently.
Enhanced Oil Recovery: Technologies such as
thermal recovery or gas injection that can be used to
increase the amount of oil that can be extracted from
an oil field.
Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman © 2010 Chevron Corporation | 35
Energy and TechnologyTopics Explored in the Online Conversation, continued
Alternatives and Renewables
Biofuels: Fuels produced from renewable biological
resources, including vegetable oil– and animal fat–
based diesel fuels.
Ethanol: Flammable, colorless liquid that can be
used as a fuel or fuel additive.
Alternatives and Renewables: Nontraditional
sources of energy and those that can be produced
from naturally replenishing resources, such as solar,
wind or wave power.
Geothermal: A source of energy that is generated by
extracting heat from the earth.
Solar: Generation of electricity from sunlight.
Wind: Power of wind converted into a usable form of
energy that can be harnessed to produce electricity.
Hydrogen: Generating power from hydrogen and fuel
cells, which are electrochemical cells that generate
electricity through the reactions between hydrogen
and water.
Nuclear: Energy produced from controlled nuclear
reactions.
Ocean: Energy generation through the movement of
ocean surface waves.
Algae: Use of the photosynthetic organism algae to
create a biofuel by converting carbon dioxide and
sunlight into oxygen and biomass.
Cellulosic Ethanol: Biofuel produced from wood,
grasses or nonedible plant parts.
Corn-Based Ethanol: Form of ethanol produced
from corn through industrial fermentation and
distillation.
Nonfood Biofuels: Ethanol produced from nonfood
crops for waste biomass, such as the stalks of wheat
and wood.
Biohydrocarbons: Fuel source produced by mixing
biomass feedstock of plants with hydrogen and
another chemical catalyst.
Clean Energy: Energy sources that do not pollute
the atmosphere or environment when used.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 36Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Low Volume/
Negative Sentiment
Low Volume/
Positive Sentiment
High Volume/
Negative Sentiment
High Volume/
Positive Sentiment
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Energy Efficiency
Alternatives and Renewables
Technology and Innovation
Chart 3.1Sentiment of Online Conversations
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
Vo
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Energy and TechnologyVolume and Net Sentiment of Online Conversations
Among the key Energy and Technology subtopics, Alternatives and Renewables generated the highest volume of online
conversation in the first quarter of 2010, with roughly 2.2 million posts. Technology and Innovation was the most positive in
sentiment (3.44). All three of the topics were positive.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 37Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
2.81%
9.81%
6.15%
6.39%
7.24%
5.78%
0.11%
14.13%
3.12%
1.14%
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16%
Biofuels
Solar
Wind
Nuclear
Energy Efficiency
Energy Conservation
Deepwater
Energy Technologies**
Liquefied Natural Gas
Fuel Cell
Chart 3.2
Percentage of Online Conversations About Energy and Technology – 4.9 Million Total
10 Energy and Technology Subtopics*
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
*Ten of 39 Energy and Technology subtopics
**Technological processes or innovations associated with producing energy
Energy and TechnologyVolume of Online Conversations
The Energy Technologies subtopic produced the largest volume of online conversation during the first quarter of
2010, followed by Solar and Energy Efficiency.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 38Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Biofuels
Positiv
eN
egative
Category
Net
Sentiment
Neutral
Volume
Solar Wind Nuclear Energy
EfficiencyConservation Deepwater Energy
Technologies
Liquefied
Natural GasCarbon
Capture
4,723
17,133
10,993
6,667
12,359
3,758
126
11,0889,893
435
– 3,455– 7,499
– 9,407
– 19,123
– 2,327
– 10,132
– 46
– 10,287
– 6,172
– 204
-25,000
-20,000
-15,000
-10,000
-5,000
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
Chart 3.3
10 Energy and Technology Subtopics*
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
Sen
tim
en
t V
olu
me**
3.23 3.64 3.15 2.38 4.00 2.42 3.56 3.05 3.29 3.52
51,717 182,297 143,464 119,978 95,279 91,974 2,632 178,363 70,029 5,086
*Ten of 39 Energy and Technology subtopics
**Number of positive, negative and neutral posts rated by the SM2 social media monitoring tool
Energy and TechnologyNet Sentiment and Sentiment Volume of Online Conversations
Energy Efficiency was one of the most favorable of the Energy and Technology subtopics during the first quarter of 2010.
Nuclear was one of the most negative, along with Conservation. There was a marked difference in the sentiment of online
conversations about Energy Efficiency compared with Conservation.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 39Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy and TechnologySentiment Trends of Online Conversations
Online discussion of Solar and Wind became significantly more positive during the first quarter of 2010. The online
conversation about Energy and Technology subtopics continued to be mostly positive, with the exception of Nuclear and
Energy Conservation, which were negative.
10 Energy and
Technology Subtopics*
4Q08 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10
Biofuels 3.33 3.54 3.43 3.48 3.35 3.23
Solar 3.76 3.66 3.83 3.87 3.53 3.64
Wind 3.66 3.42 3.78 3.47 3.04 3.15
Nuclear 2.47 2.30 2.82 2.85 2.45 2.38
Energy Efficiency 3.52 4.03 4.01 4.05 4.05 4.00
Energy Conservation 2.49 2.83 2.62 2.72 2.72 2.42
Deepwater 3.60 4.05 3.79 3.92 3.58 3.56
Energy Technologies 2.96 3.33 3.38 3.28 3.08 3.05
Liquefied Natural Gas 3.13 3.08 3.12 2.91 3.38 3.29
Carbon Capture 3.23 2.92 3.34 3.16 3.54 3.52
Chart 3.4
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Positive
Negative
Sentiment Trends of Online Conversations Legend: >0.10 Change:Positive (3.10–5.00)
Neutral (2.90–3.09)
Negative (1.00–2.89)
*Ten of 39 Energy and Technology subtopics
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 40Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Low Volume/
Negative Sentiment
Low Volume/
Positive Sentiment
High Volume/
Negative Sentiment
High Volume/
Positive Sentiment
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
500,000
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Fuel Efficiency Policy
Fuel Efficiency
Energy Conservation
Energy Efficiency Policy
Energy Efficiency
Chart 3.5Sentiment of Online Conversations
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
Vo
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s
Energy and TechnologyEnergy Efficiency: Volume and Net Sentiment of Online Conversations
Online conversations around Fuel Efficiency and Energy Efficiency were high in volume and positive in sentiment
during the first quarter of 2010. Energy Efficiency Policy was quite positive but lower in volume.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 41Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
500,000
4Q08 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10
On
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ve
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Energy Conservation
Energy Efficiency
Energy Efficiency Policy
Fuel Efficiency
Fuel Efficiency Policy
Energy Efficiency
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Chart 3.6
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 42Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy and TechnologyEnergy Efficiency: Volume Trend of Online Conversations
The volume of online conversation about Energy Efficiency subtopics was relatively flat for the last five quarters, before
surging in the first quarter of 2010. Conversation about Fuel Efficiency and Fuel Efficiency Policy increased by more than
200 percent each, while Energy Efficiency and Energy Efficiency Policy grew by more than 100 percent each.
Low Volume/
Negative Sentiment
Low Volume/
Positive Sentiment
High Volume/
Negative Sentiment
High Volume/
Positive Sentiment
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Exploration and Development
Liquefied Natural GasInnovation
Chart 3.7
Energy Technologies
FCM
A, B, E, I, N G
LD K
Sentiment of Online Conversations
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
Hydraulic Fracturing H J
A. Carbon Capture
B. Carbon Capture & Sequestration
C. Carbon and Sequestration
D. Cleantech
E. Deepwater
F. Directional Drilling
G. Fuel Cell
H. Gasification
I. Gas-to-Liquids
J. Intercropping
K. Oil Recovery
L. Seismic Visual/Imaging
M. Solar-to-Steam
N. Steamflooding
Vo
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s
Energy and TechnologyTechnology and Innovation: Volume and Net Sentiment of Online
Conversations
General conversation about Energy Technologies had the largest volume among Energy and Technology subtopics during the
first quarter of 2010. The majority of subtopics were low in volume, but quite positive in sentiment during the quarter.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 43Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
4Q08 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10
On
lin
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ve
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Energy Technologies
Exploration and Development
Fuel Cell
Innovation
Liquefied Natural Gas
Technology and Innovation*
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Chart 3.8
*Five of 19 subtopics about Technology and Innovation
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 44Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy and TechnologyTechnology and Innovation: Volume Trend of Online Conversations
The volume of online conversation about Energy Technologies more than doubled from the fourth quarter of
2009 to the first quarter of 2010. Other subtopics also increased in volume, but only moderately.
Low Volume/
Negative Sentiment
Low Volume/
Positive Sentiment
High Volume/
Negative Sentiment
High Volume/
Positive Sentiment
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Ethanol
Nuclear
Solar
Wind
Alternatives and Renewables
Geothermal
Chart 3.9
Biofuels Clean Energy
Hydrogen
Nonfood BiofuelsCellulosic Ethanol
Algae
Corn-Based Ethanol
BiohydrocarbonsOcean
Sentiment of Online Conversations
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
Vo
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Energy and TechnologyAlternatives and Renewables: Volume and Net Sentiment of
Online ConversationsThe majority of Alternatives and Renewables subtopics were positive in sentiment during the first quarter of 2010. Solar and
general discussion of Alternatives and Renewables led the conversation in volume. Biohydrocarbons was the most positive.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 45Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
500,000
4Q08 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10
On
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Alternatives and Renewables
Ethanol
Nuclear
Solar
Wind
Alternatives and Renewables*
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Chart 3.10
*Five of 15 subtopics about Alternatives and Renewables
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 46Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy and TechnologyAlternatives and Renewables: Volume Trend of Online Conversations
After being quite consistent in volume during the previous four quarters, the online conversation about Alternatives and
Renewables subtopics significantly increased in volume from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the first quarter of 2010.
Energy and TechnologySample of Influencers Active in the Online Conversation
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 47Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Blog Link Description
Biofuels Digest http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigestSpotlights news and information related to biofuels through daily updates
about companies, stocks and top stories.
Domestic Fuel http://domesticfuel.com
Highlights the latest news and information about the alternative fuels
industry, with stories frequently containing original interviews and
coverage of industry events.
Atomic Insights http://atomicinsights.blogspot.com Discusses energy issues from an engineering perspective.
Green Chip Stocks http://www.greenchipstocks.comShares the latest news, updates and recommendations on the investment
landscape for clean energy.
Cleantechies Blog http://blog.cleantechies.comServes as a platform for collaboration and exchanging ideas to offer
alternatives to traditional products and services.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 48Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
The Online Conversation About:
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Energy and EnvironmentSummary of the Online Conversation
There were approximately 12 million posts about Energy and Environment from October 2008 through March 2010. Climate Change comprised 42 percent of the conversation about Energy and Environment during this 18-month period, totaling 7.6 million posts.
While the online conversation about Environment, Resources and Policy was positive (3.15) during the 18-month period, the discussion of Climate Change was quite negative (2.34).
Among the Environment, Resources and Policy subtopics, Sustainability was the most positive in sentiment (3.83), followed by Environment and Alternatives (3.76) during the 18-month period.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 49Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
KEY ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT TOPICS EXAMINED:
• Environment, Resources and Policy
• Climate Change
During the first three months of 2010, online discussion about the Copenhagen climate summit shrank by nearly half following the completion of the summit in December 2009.
The volume of online discussion about Energy and Environment was at its highest during the first three months of 2010, when discussions about Environment and Oil, Global Warming and Cooling, and Climate and Energy peaked.
The tone of online conversation for Climate Change became more negative in sentiment during the first three months of 2010 (2.18), which also was the most negative over the 18-month period.
Environment, Resources and Policy
Sustainability: Sustaining the supply of various
energy resources with minimal effects on the
environment.
Environment and Oil: The environment and oil in
either a refined or unrefined state.
Environment and Gas: The environment and natural
gas.
Environment and Alternatives: The environment
and alternative energy sources, including solar, wind
and geothermal.
Environment and Clean Energy: The environment
and nonpolluting resources such as nuclear power.
Environmental Policy: Environmental policy,
legislation and regulations at the local, state, national
and international levels.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)
and Energy: Energy issues related to the EPA, the
federal agency that sets and enforces rules and
standards to protect the environment.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 50Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy and Environment Topics Explored in the Online Conversation
Climate Change
Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Encompasses any of the
gases whose absorption of solar radiation is
responsible for the atmospheric heating phenomenon
known as the greenhouse effect.
Carbon Tax: An environmental tax on carbon dioxide
emissions that could be implemented by taxing the
burning of fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil) to raise
revenues and increase the competitiveness of
noncarbon technologies.
Cap-and-Trade: An administrative approach to
controlling emissions by providing economic
incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions
of pollutants.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC): An intergovernmental body tasked with
evaluating the risk of climate change. The panel was
established in 1988 by two organizations under
the United Nations.
Kyoto: The Kyoto Protocol, aimed at combating
climate change; initially adopted on December 11,
2007, in Kyoto, Japan.
Energy and EnvironmentTopics Explored in the Online Conversation, continued
Climate Change, continued
Emission Control: Standards and regulations
controlling the amount of pollutants released into the
environment by motor vehicles, industry facilities and
smaller power equipment such as tractors.
Low Carbon Fuel: Lower carbon-emitting fuels,
including some alternative fuels or natural gas.
Climate and Energy: Energy sources, in relation to
climate change.
Global Warming and Global Cooling: Changes in
the Earth's average atmospheric temperature and
corresponding changes in climate.
Climate Policy: Legislation designed to regulate
greenhouse gas emissions.
Copenhagen: Commonly referred to as
the Copenhagen summit, the 2009 United Nations
Climate Change Conference was held in Copenhagen,
Denmark, December 7–18. Global leaders met to
negotiate a framework for climate change mitigation
around the world.
Assembly Bill No. 32 (AB32): California’s climate
law, formally known as the Global Warming Solutions
Act of 2006, that established a timetable to bring
California into near compliance with the provisions of
the Kyoto Protocol. Enforced by the California Air
Resources Board (CARB), the law requires a plan to
reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions to 1990
levels by 2020.
U.S. EPA and Carbon: In 2007, the U.S. Supreme
Court held that the EPA has the right to regulate the
emission of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air
Act “unless it is able to provide a scientific reason for
not doing so.” The EPA exercised its authority on
December 7, 2009, when it publicly finalized an
“Endangerment Finding” on greenhouse gases.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 51Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Low Volume/
Negative Sentiment
Low Volume/
Positive Sentiment
High Volume/
Negative Sentiment
High Volume/
Positive Sentiment
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Environment, Resources and Policy
Climate Change
Chart 4.1Sentiment of Online Conversations
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
Vo
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vers
ati
on
s
Energy and EnvironmentVolume and Net Sentiment of Online Conversations
Online conversation about Environment, Resources and Policy was lower in volume than Climate Change during the first
quarter of 2010; however, the sentiment of this key conversation topic was positive.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 52Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
3.75%
8.84%
5.62%
7.71%
0.77%
3.58%
3.41%
4.17%
28.21%
9.67%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Sustainability
Environment and Oil
Environment and Alternatives
Environmental Policy
Carbon Tax
Cap-and-Trade
IPCC**
Copenhagen
Global Warming and Cooling
Climate Policy
Chart 4.2
10 Energy and Environment Subtopics*
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
Percentage of Online Conversations About Energy and Environment – 3.3 Million Total
*Ten of 20 Energy and Environment Subtopics
**Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Energy and EnvironmentVolume of Online Conversations
Global Warming and Cooling triggered the highest volume of conversation among the Energy and Environment subtopics
during the first quarter of 2010, followed by Climate Policy and Environment and Oil.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 53Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Sustainability
Positiv
eN
egative
Category
Net
Sentiment
Neutral
Volume
Environment
and Oil
Environment
and
Alternatives
Environmental
Policy
Carbon
Tax
Cap-and-Trade IPCC Copenhagen Global Warming
and Cooling
Climate
Policy
4,483 2,722 2,596 2,052397
2,0561,083 1,094
18,718
2,447
– 1,004
– 4,831
– 917– 1,986 – 1,027
– 3,811– 9,730
– 3,161
– 63,545
– 5,216
-70,000
-60,000
-50,000
-40,000
-30,000
-20,000
-10,000
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
Chart 4.3
Sen
tim
en
t V
olu
me**
3.80 2.58 3.70 2.99 2.29 2.49 1.71 2.32 2.05 2.53
40,273 59,019 29,193 42,692 6,940 31,688 34,613 25,705 259,345 55,747
10 Energy and Environment Subtopics*
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
*Ten of 20 Energy and Environment subtopics
**Number of positive, negative and neutral posts rated by the SM2 social media monitoring tool
Energy and EnvironmentNet Sentiment and Sentiment Volume of Online Conversations
Among Energy and Environment subtopics, Sustainability was the most favorable conversation during the first quarter of
2010, with a net sentiment of 3.80, followed by Environment and Alternatives (3.70). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) was the most negative, with a net sentiment of 1.71.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 54Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy and EnvironmentSentiment Trends of Online Conversations
Online conversation about Global Warming and Cooling was significantly more negative in the first quarter of 2010 compared
to previous quarters. Discussions of Carbon Tax and Cap-and-Trade improved in sentiment, but remained quite negative.
10 Energy and
Environment Subtopics
4Q08 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10
Sustainability 3.68 3.87 3.87 3.81 3.85 3.80
Environment and Oil 2.74 2.93 2.63 2.80 2.67 2.58
Environment and
Alternatives
3.69 3.58 3.76 3.89 3.80 3.70
Environmental Policy 3.22 3.13 2.95 2.97 2.85 2.99
Carbon Tax 2.68 2.46 2.79 2.83 1.76 2.29
Cap-and-Trade 2.94 2.53 2.50 2.47 2.22 2.49
Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change
1.96 2.13 1.86 1.82 2.26 1.71
Copenhagen 3.19 3.81 3.28 2.85 2.29 2.32
Global Warming and
Cooling2.28 2.52 2.39 2.33 2.27 2.05
Climate Policy 2.79 2.72 2.61 2.61 2.41 2.53
Chart 4.4
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Positive
Negative
Sentiment Trends of Online Conversations Legend: >0.10 Change:Positive (3.10–5.00)
Neutral (2.90–3.09)
Negative (1.00–2.89)
*Ten of 20 Energy and Environment subtopics.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 55Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Low Volume/
Negative Sentiment
Low Volume/
Positive Sentiment
High Volume/
Negative Sentiment
High Volume/
Positive Sentiment
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Environment and Alternatives
Environment and Oil
U.S. EPA* and Energy
Environment and Gas
Sustainability
Chart 4.5
Environment and Clean Energy
Environmental Policy
Sentiment of Online Conversations
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
*U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Vo
lum
e o
f O
nlin
e C
on
vers
ati
on
s
Energy and EnvironmentEnvironment, Resources and Policy: Volume and Net Sentiment of
Online ConversationsEnvironment and Alternatives was the only positive and high-volume subtopic of conversation in the Environment,
Resources and Energy category during the first quarter of 2010. Sustainability was quite positive but lower in volume.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 56Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
4Q08 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10
On
lin
e C
on
ve
rsa
tio
n V
olu
me
Environment and Alternatives
Environment and Oil
Environmental Policy
Sustainability
U.S. EPA** and Energy
Environment, Resources and Policy*
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Chart 4.6
*Five of seven subtopics about Environment, Resources and Policy
**U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 57Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy and EnvironmentEnvironment, Resources and Policy: Volume Trend of Online Conversations
With the completion of the Copenhagen climate summit, volume of conversation about Environmental Policy fell
significantly, while discussion of Environment and Oil grew in volume.
Low Volume/
Negative Sentiment
Low Volume/
Positive Sentiment
High Volume/
Negative Sentiment
High Volume/
Positive Sentiment
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
900,000
1,000,000
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Climate Policy Climate and Energy
Global Warming and Cooling
Cap-and-Trade
C
Greenhouse Gases
Kyoto
IPCC*
Copenhagen
AB
Emission Control
A. AB32**
B. Carbon Tax
C. Low-Carbon Fuel
D. U.S. EPA*** and Carbon
Sentiment of Online Conversations
January 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
Chart 4.7*Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
**Calif. Assembly Bill No. 32
***Environmental Protection Agency
D
Vo
lum
e o
f O
nlin
e C
on
vers
ati
on
s
Energy and EnvironmentClimate Change: Volume and Net Sentiment of Online Conversations
The majority of Climate Change subtopics were low in volume and negative in sentiment during the first quarter of 2010, with
the exception of Emission Control, which was neutral in sentiment and low in volume.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 58Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
900,000
1,000,000
4Q08 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10
On
lin
e C
on
ve
rsa
tio
n V
olu
me
Cap-and-Trade
Climate and Energy
Climate Policy
Global Warming and Cooling
Greenhouse Gases
Climate Change*
October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010
Chart 4.8
*Five of 13 subtopics about Climate Change
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 59Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy and EnvironmentClimate Change: Volume Trend of Online Conversations
The conversation volume about Global Warming and Cooling increased more than 300 percent from the third quarter of 2009
to the first quarter of 2010, while other subtopics experienced a more gradual, but quite significant, increase in volume over the
last 18 months.
Energy and EnvironmentSample of Influencers Active in the Online Conversation
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 60Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Blog Link Description
Solve Climate
EcoFriend
EnviroKnow
Brave New Climate
http://solveclimate.com/blog
http://ecofriend.org
http://enviroknow.com
http://bravenewclimate.com
Offers daily news and analysis about issues involving national energy and
climate policy.
Informs and educates consumers about environmental issues and green
technologies and lifestyle trends.
Aims to make useful information about green topics and environmental
policy accessible to the online community.
Weighs in with daily news and insights about the future of the world’s
climate.
Greenspace
(NYTimes.com Blog)http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/ Features environmental news from California and beyond.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 61Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
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The Chevron Pulse Report(TM) is © 2010 Chevron Corporation. All rights reserved. Chevron hereby grants to any person a royalty-free license to copy the Report in whole or in part.
Your license is conditioned upon providing attribution to Chevron (e.g. “Source: Chevron Pulse Report, 1Q 2010 Edition”).
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 62Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Addendum
Energy ResourcesSample of Influencers Active in the Online Conversation
Blog Link Description
BNET/Energy http://industry.bnet.com/energy
BNet.com's Energy blog provides analysis on a wide range of issues involving
the energy sector including energy policy, green business, energy research and
technologies.
Energy Bulletin http://www.energybulletin.net/The Energy Bulletin provides information about peak oil, energy production and
implications of peak oil.
Energy & Capital http://www.energyandcapital.com/
Energy and Capital features insights on energy investment strategies and
insights, as well as perspectives on the latest energy issues and energy
economy.
Energy Outlook http://energyoutlook.blogspot.com Energy Outlook shares insights, information and discussion surrounding a
spectrum of issues related to the energy industry.
NewsWatch: Energy http://blogs.chron.com/newswatchenergy/Houston Chronicle's NewsWatch: Energy blog is a source for news, analysis and
conversation about developments and issues pertaining to the energy industry.
Peak Oil News http://peakoil.comPeak Oil News distributes analysis and information exploring the prospective
depletion of the world's oil supply.
R-Squared Energy Blog http://i-r-squared.blogspot.comR-Squared Energy blog aims to foster objective discussions about energy and
sustainability, and alternative solutions.
The Energy Blog http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/
The Energy Blog covers a range of energy issues from fossil fuels to renewable
energy. The site is focused on an "Energy Revolution," characterized as the
growing need to supplement fossil fuels with alternative energy resources.
The Energy Collective http://www.theenergycollective.com/
The Energy Collective is a collaborative blog where a number of contributing
energy experts weigh-in on relevant energy news, resources, technologies, policy
and more.
The Oil Drum http://www.theoildrum.com/The Oil Drum is an online destination for conversation about peak oil and relevant
topics pertaining to the current and future energy supply.
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 63Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Energy and TechnologySample of Influencers Active in the Online Conversation
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 64Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Blog Link Description
AutoblogGreen http://www.autobloggreen.comAutoblogGreen is a blog devoted to the discussion of green automotive
technology.
Cleantech Blog http://www.cleantechblog.com/Cleantech Blog includes news and technology updates related to energy,
the environment and climate change.
CleanTechnica http://cleantechnica.com/CleanTechnica is an online destination for conversation about clean energy
technology.
Earth2Tech http://www.earth2tech.comEarth2Tech is a blog focused on clean technology, automotive and
environmental-friendly technology policy.
EcoGeek http://www.ecogeek.comEcoGeek covers issues lying at the cross-section between energy and
technology.
Gas 2.0 http://gas2.org/Gas 2.0 is dedicated to the sharing of ideas, solutions and information for
moving beyond petroleum-based fuels.
GreenTech Media http://www.greentechmedia.com/
GreenTech Media is a site targeting green businesses and entrepreneurs
with "daily news and market analysis about the end-to-end cleantech
market" including solar, smart grid and other emerging energy sectors.
Renewable Energy World http://www.renewableenergyworld.com
RenewableEnergyWorld supplies insights and information about the
renewable energy industry, with specific interest in products, businesses
and services.
Sustainablog www.sustainablog.orgSustainablog aims at connecting people, companies, technology, and ideas
around the movement toward a more sustainable future.
The Daily Green http://www.thedailygreen.com/
The Daily Green offers online visitors daily access to eco-friendly news and
trends, advocating the importance of living green and finding energy-
efficient solutions.
Energy and EnvironmentSample of Influencers Active in the Online Conversation
© 2010 Chevron Corporation | 65Chevron Pulse Report – 1Q 2010 Edition, October 2008 - March 2010 | Prepared by Edelman
Blog Link Description
Climate Progress http://climateprogress.org/Climate Progress is an online destination for the progressive discussion of
climate science, solutions and politics.
Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.comEnvironmental Leader is a top online destination for conversation about
corporate sustainability.
Green Car Congress http://www.greencarcongress.comGreen Car Congress is a leading online resource for the discussion of
sustainable mobility.
Green Inc. (NYTimes) http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/Green Inc. is NYTimes.com's sustainability blog dedicated to conversation
about the environment and the impact of environmental policy on business.
Grist www.grist.org/Grist is a leading online resource for conversation about environmental
policy.
Mother Nature Network http://mnn.com
Mother Nature Network (MNN) is an environmental Website devoted to
providing news and information covering a broad scope of environmental
and social responsibility issues.
Sustainablog http://sustainablog.org/Sustainablog is an online resource with conversations that help guide
consumers to make environment-friendly choices.
TreeHugger http://www.treehugger.comTreehugger is a sustainability blog that serves as a central online resource
for a gamut of green news, solutions and information.
Triple Pundit http://www.triplepundit.comTriple Pundit centers on issues at the intersection of business and
sustainability.
Worldchanging http://www.worldchanging.comWorldchanging provides its visitors with ideas, models and new tools for
building a green future.