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Wednesday, December 23rd, 2015

Rattled on the Plains

Author:     Cary Aspinwall
Source:     Politico Magazine
Publication Date:     December 18, 2015
 Link: Rattled on the Plains
Stephan:   Here is the latest on the earthquakes of Oklahoma, a state with a long history of voting for ideology or theology over facts. But fracking may finally be breaking through conservatives' implacable willful ignorance. I guess if your house falls down it gets your attention in a way a fact based study doesn't. But maybe not; we'll have to wait for the next election to see. I actually would give it no more than a 50-50 chance that facts will prevail. Anyway here is the latest on the earthquakes that are literally tearing the state apart.
Oklahoma earthquake damage Credit: AP

Oklahoma earthquake damage
Credit: AP

A few days after Thanksgiving, Oklahoma City residents huddled in their homes watching a thick layer of ice snap power lines and split stubby trees. Only a few days later, as the ice started to thaw and power was restored in most neighborhoods, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake shook the state a couple hours before dawn.

The epicenter was 100 miles north, in a region where oil and gas have for decades driven the state economy. Scientists suspect the practice of injecting deep into the earth the salty wastewater from the drilling process may be causing the earthquakes, or at least increasing the frequency.

Prior to 2009, the state had just two quakes per year. Now on average, quakes shake the state twice a day, more than anywhere in the lower 48 states, a fact that is stoking outrage among residents who are growing tired of worrying about the foundations of their homes and whether to buy earthquake insurance. The quakes are an […]

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