IMHO, it’s disingenuous to separate fracking from the earthquake debate. The author has excellent points about the enviroweenies’ attempts to smear the industry, but scientists have known for DECADES about the effects of deep-earth fluid injection and earth movement. All the author’s doing is setting up the ‘gotcha’ for the greenies. As noted by other FReepers, the small quakes relieve stress. Though I’m sure residents in those areas wish they’d manage it better (if that’s even possible).
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3176191/posts?page=6#6
The link below contains a bunch of very good information on fracking in California near faultlines, but it steers into ‘greenie’ territory when it suggests that the reduced stresses in areas being ‘lubricated’ are increasing the risk of a large earthquake in that area (I believe it reduces it...’significantly’).
http://www.cafrackfacts.org/impacts/seismology/
If there was anywhere on the planet where ‘triggering a large earthquake’ due to fluid injection/fracking was most likely to occur, it’s in CA...you’d think that would have happened by now given they’ve been doing this activity since the ‘70s, ya know? That link above also sites a study that asserts OK fracking has caused ‘large’ earthquakes; I’d dispute that finding if they can’t cite one in CA.
See below for more of the historical data related to earth movement related to deep earth injection of fluids.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3176191/posts#9
This isn’t rocket science; it’s cause & effect. Simple physics. All the lefty greenies are doing is trying to steer known science to support their twisted agenda.
IMHO, that latter statement is, also, ‘not rocket science’: All the left does is obfuscate, wax hyperbole and hysterically attack to make their points known. “Yawn” for me.
Insofar as comments about there being ‘no fracking’ in NM, that may be true. But there IS oil drilling. Where there’s oil drilling, there’s deep-well fluid injection for both oil extraction and for wastewater disposal. See below
http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/docs/wipp/card33.pdf
Fact : Fracking and waste water disposal are two different animals so why is it always necessary to use the word fracking in stories other than to create hysteria against fracking?
FReepers are smarter than the average bear. Thanks for the info and taking the time to post it.