IMHO, we are learning along the way. Of the practices, it is re-injection of waste water disposal that is more likely the problem. I know because my Grandmother's water well was polluted by waste water that was NOT injected under the water table formations. Over the years, the brime reached her well and salted it out. She had a well just 200 yards from her home. Although more expensive, evaporation pond or towers may be a better solution with harvesting of the recovered salts. There be minerals in that waste water. Bob Wilson
If your common sense doesn't tell you that pumping the materials frackers pump to pressurize and the damage done by its residue is good, then yes fracking is good as good as mercury in vaccines and Gmo's.
There is a famous quotation along the lines of 'study of nature should be simplified as much as possible, but not further'. In a general sense, 'how much' may not be obvious. One may begin with a preconceived notion and, simplify with a goal of supporting it. I don't think this will be a productive effort.
Complaining about fracking while driving a gas powered car has a little bit of hypocrisy involved. I'm trying to take steps to minimize my hypocracy because I realize we cannot eliminate environmentally destructive operations until sustainable solutions are embraced.
Used to be they "Fracked" to increase water flow, then a light went on, wow, think of the money we can make fracking for oil and natural gas, now they frack for entertainment. Theirs
Scotland's a pretty windy place, and wind turbines are sprouting up all over. I don't have any stats on how much in the way of 'traditional' energy sources have been replaced, but there's definitely a big investment in wind power.
"When the Okies left Oklahoma and moved to California, they raised the average intelligence level in both states." - Will Rogers None of my brothers nor Mom live in Oklahoma. I've got the Southeast USA franchise. My brothers cover the Southwest, Northwest and Northeast. Mom is doing her best in Kansas but it is against the wind. Bob Wilson
As Calif. was at some risk of big earthquake after the Salton Sea swarm, I have been looking in on USGS real-time mapping. Confess to surprise that OK is more seismic than CA (Yeah, just 2s and 3s). On October 13 there will be no earthquakes in Oklahoma. How's that for a prediction?
One might posit that lots of (nefarious) money opposes fracking. Has not been a successful effort, and fracking is expected to grow further Hydraulic fracturing in the United States - Wikipedia Certainly plausible that Russia would oppose it. They are losing both market share and profit. Certainly plausible that folks with concerns about fracking side effects would oppose it. This is an alignment of interests. If it is a nefarious alignment, others will have to work that out.
Geologic risks of deep water injection are not the same everywhere. And can be known: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161111133314.htm
Less water injections in Oklahoma's future: Oklahoma earthquakes should be on the decline | Ars Technica (link to open access publication at the end)
USGS 2017 earthquake forecast: Here’s Where Americans Can Expect Earthquakes to Cause the Most Damage in 2017 Worth reading, especially as the report itself is in a journal with an unusually strong paywall. Think back to some earlier time, when you would have been surprised by this quote (from the link) "the vast majority will be triggered by human activities"
