Fracking is causing earthquakes
April 11, 2012 11:30 AM Subscribe
Well, this is just fracking lovely.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Single link franking post, maybe make a better post about this? -- jessamyn
Oh, come now. Everyone knows that it's geothermal energy that causes earthquakes, not clean fracking.
posted by XMLicious at 11:36 AM on April 11, 2012
posted by XMLicious at 11:36 AM on April 11, 2012
Spoiler Alert: Everyone is a cylon.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:38 AM on April 11, 2012
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:38 AM on April 11, 2012
Well, I admit the earth did move for me... oh, fracking. Nevermind....
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:41 AM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:41 AM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
I really liked that this article referred to them as "dirty energy". A cultural shift that is good, imo.
posted by rebent at 11:55 AM on April 11, 2012
posted by rebent at 11:55 AM on April 11, 2012
This plus the move to expand the use of Fracking in California just means tourism tourism tourism, if it is one thing people love it is a good earthquake.
posted by TwelveTwo at 11:55 AM on April 11, 2012
posted by TwelveTwo at 11:55 AM on April 11, 2012
A new report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) says that the increased seismic activity taking place in certain areas of the United States is almost certainly the result of oil and gas drilling activities.
Well, its not a report, its a conference abstract. And its not fracking, its waste-water disposal wells. Finally, these earthquakes are very small, though, magnitude 3 - 4. In terms of public safety and environmental impact, this is way down on the list.
However, the larger issue -- dealing with wastewater -- is probably, in fact, the biggest issue with fracking. When the Marcellus play started heating up in Pennsylvania, drillers would rely on existing municipal waste water treatment centers to deal with the water. It was quite clear at the time, even before activity really ramped up, that these facilities were inadequate to deal with the volume and type of waste. The Pennsylvania law that was recently pilloried on Metafilter, actually seeks to address the cost and management of waste water.
The Good Environment blog post linked in the above article is probably worth reading, but they, too mistakenly confound hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") and waste water disposal wells. While the second is a common practice in waste water management, it is not fracking.
posted by bumpkin at 12:03 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Well, its not a report, its a conference abstract. And its not fracking, its waste-water disposal wells. Finally, these earthquakes are very small, though, magnitude 3 - 4. In terms of public safety and environmental impact, this is way down on the list.
However, the larger issue -- dealing with wastewater -- is probably, in fact, the biggest issue with fracking. When the Marcellus play started heating up in Pennsylvania, drillers would rely on existing municipal waste water treatment centers to deal with the water. It was quite clear at the time, even before activity really ramped up, that these facilities were inadequate to deal with the volume and type of waste. The Pennsylvania law that was recently pilloried on Metafilter, actually seeks to address the cost and management of waste water.
The Good Environment blog post linked in the above article is probably worth reading, but they, too mistakenly confound hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") and waste water disposal wells. While the second is a common practice in waste water management, it is not fracking.
posted by bumpkin at 12:03 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
You really have to accept the science, otherwise it breaks down into this question: if the earthquakes are caused by fracking, will anyone lose out on a lucrative profit opportunity? Yes? Then the earthquakes must/must not* be caused by fracking.
*choose the one that applies to your worldview.
posted by davejay at 12:05 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
*choose the one that applies to your worldview.
posted by davejay at 12:05 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
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posted by swift at 11:32 AM on April 11, 2012