Seven Facts for Fracking Deniers

americanthinker.com ^ | 7/10/2014 | Jeffrey Folks

[rktman]

At a recent town hall meeting in Edmond, Oklahoma, local citizens gathered to discuss the possible connection between fracking and increased seismic activity in their area. According to one published report, members of the audience left “disappointed” that no consensus had been reached linking fracking and seismic activity. According to the same report, many in the audience appeared to be “hostile to the oil and gas industry.” Even in this most oil-friendly of states, it seems, there is a rush to judgment linking fracking to every conceivable sort of damage.

[rktman]

Geez. Maybe the "concerned" citizens should hire erin brockovich. She has a record of getting big money payouts for non-existent issues.

[sauropod]

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[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Why is it that there are no earthquakes in the 4 Corners region of NM, UT,CO, and AZ? Fracking has been going on there for decades.

[newheart]

A good friend of mine, a very successful petroleum geologist who happens to live in Edmond, suggests that if wastewater injection is causing the increase in quakes in Oklahoma, that we owe the industry our thanks. Each small quake relieves some seismic stress, possibly preventing a big one.

Personally I think we may be experiencing some precursors to a pretty large event anyway.

[Major Matt Mason]

As the article author correctly states, the opposition to fracking is all about the America-hating greenies continuing their efforts to kneecap this country's economy. They've already had success in shutting down the Keystone pipeline, so they'll keep pounding away at fracking.

[1Old Pro]

Environmentalists Leftists have always been about crippling the economy to allow a sheparding in of socialist economics.

[Carthego delenda est]

I too, think perhaps these are precursors, and are indicative of a soon to be large event. Had a 5.2 in normally non-active SW New Mexico a few weeks ago. There is NO fracking in this region.

[GOP_Party_Animal]

That’s exactly what I was thinking! We should be fracking around the San Andreas. Think of he lives and property that could be saved!

[reed13k]

tremors couldn’t possible have anything to do with the Meers or many other fault lines could it...

http://www.okgeosurvey1.gov/level2/geology/ok.geo.provinces.
large.gif

Nah.... course not

[Okieshooter]

Very good story that lays out facts instead of the agenda driven hysteria seen in most stories on the subject.

[rktman]

Yup. But of course, it’s always up to the reader about whose facts they wish to buy into. Or lies. ;>}

[logi_cal869]

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

[Political Junkie Too]

Maybe they can blame fracking for waking up Mauna Loa last month after 30 years.

World's largest active volcano shows signs of life in Hawaii

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Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, has rumbled back to life in Hawaii over the past 13 months with more seismic activity than at any time since its last eruption, scientists say, while calling it too soon to predict another blast.

The volcano, which last erupted in 1975 and 1984, has been rattled since March 2013 by earthquakes of the same type and in the same location as the temblors that preceded those explosions, said Wes Thelen, a seismologist for the US Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

"The earthquakes we are seeing at Mauna Loa lead us to believe that some of the same things that happened before the 1975 and 1984 eruptions are happening right now," Thelen told Reuters. "We don't see this kind of activity outside of pre-eruptive earthquake sequences," he said.

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Or maybe Mauna Loa waking up is a sign of plate tectonics that are having a ripple effect into Oklahoma?

-PJ

[pfflier]

Anyone who puts on a white lab coat can "settle" any science issue with a scientifically illiterate public.

Since we know little or nothing about plate tectonics (still a theory) the starting point for any argument is practically at point zero.

[Okieshooter]

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?

[rktman]

FReepers are smarter than the average bear. Thanks for the info and taking the time to post it.

[sauropod]

Since we know little or nothing about plate tectonics (still a theory)

There's where you're wrong. Plate Tectonics is not a "theory." Several things about moving plates (subduction, frequency of earthquakes at plate edges, etc.) have been empirically observed.

Fracking, and the technologies that enable it, are good for the country. The risks to the environment, and to the economy for that matter, are much smaller than the alternatives.

[pfflier]

"There's where you're wrong. Plate Tectonics is not a "theory."

Title: Development of Plate Tectonics Theory

http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/plate-tectonics-development-plate-tectonics-theory.html

source 2 title: The Origins of Plate Tectonic Theory .

http://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Earth-Science/6/The-Origins-of-Plate-Tectonic-Theory/65

Source 3: What is Plate Tectonics ? - Live Science: Scientific News ... www.livescience.com/37706-what-is-plate-tectonics.html Cached Jun 23, 2013 · Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over the mantle

Need I go on? It is a theory, the science isn't "settled".

I will agree that the metrics you cited are empirical measurements.

[sauropod]

It’s not a theory.

I was taught by one of the people that developed it.

Cheers, ‘Pod.

[RWB Patriot]

This article assumes the environuts care about facts.