… in New Zealand.
The Taranaki Daily News reports:
Fracking has been dismissed as a cause of earthquakes, volcanic or other seismic activity in Taranaki in a report released this morning.
The report, commissioned by the Taranaki Regional Council in the wake of growing public and media interest in the technique, found no evidence fracking had any observable effect on natural earthquake activity…
Just to slow down the parade a bit. Don’t be so fast to jump on this denier bandwagon. The creation of Lake Meade, near Las Vegas, NV, and Lake Powell at the opposite end of the Arizona Grand Canyon have been shown to have increased seismic activity at the two ends of the Canyon. Both are on the surface, not even a mile down. Anything that alters the surface/subsurface equilibrium of an area, even mining, can alter seismic activity, i.e., earthquakes. Tiny earthquakes occur everywhere all the time. Tiny earthquakes do not damage surface property or injure surface beings. A serious increase in the risk of triggering a major earthquake is what needs to be avoided. Fracking must by its very nature must disturb the local equilibrium, but it has not been shown to seriously increase the risk of a major — destructive — earthquake.
It is usually rational public discourse that determines when the benefits of disturbing the equilibrium out weigh the costs of disturbing the equilibrium. This is true in any human endeavor. Maintaining the equilibrium at all costs means making no progress of any sort anywhere, in any field.
In defense of ogrrre: please note the sarcasm on and off symbols.
Fracking occurs about a mile under ground, while earthquakes occur several miles underground. If fracking causes earthquakes, then so would stamping your feet.
Where is common sense?
The article shows that once again, the sky is not falling. That being said, the climate hysterics won’t accept that as it doesn’t fall in with the dogma of the Church of Anthropogenic Global Warming and Rapid Climate Change.
” Fracking causes earthquakes. I don’t care what the evidence shows” Well there’s objectivity for you.
and this guy will be the first to say “Studies show fracking causes earthquakes.”
/sarc on
It is obvious that the Taranaki Regional Council, and the firm they commissioned to study the issue is in the pocket of big oil. Fracking causes earthquakes. I don’t care what the evidence shows, I believe it, and the debate is over. I’ve got my fingers in my ears, ‘Nyah, nyah, nyah, I can’t hear you”
/sacr off