Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) is one of the most insidious methods of extracting fossil fuels from the Earth, mostly natural gas. Instead of relying on natural geographic pressures to push gas to the surface it sends pressured liquid 5,000 (1mi) to 20,000 (4mi) feet below the ground level. This pressure separates (fractures) the shale releasing the gas and pushing it to the surface. It's like injecting high pressure liquids just under your skin to force oil out as a prevention to acne.
Relation to earthquakes
Fracking was conceived in 1947, but not widely used until 2012, The process intentionally creates small earthquakes which the fossil fuel industry claims are harmless, because they are so deep in the ground. However the impact can be felt as far as 31 miles (50 kilometres) from the fracking site. It's hard to manage the earth so often the earthquakes are greater than what the fossil fuel industry claims are the risks. Such as the earthquake in Turkey in November of 2020.
List of earthquakes related to fracking
- British Columbia Oil & Gas Commission: Investigation of Observed Seismicity in the Horn River Basin, August 2012
- CBC Fracking causes minor earthquakes, B.C. regulator says
- British Geological Survey: Fracking and Earthquake Hazard
- Cuadrilla Resources: Geomechanical Study of Bowland Shale Seismicity, 2011.
- Schlumberger Seismicity in the Oil Field
- Kansas Agland What’s known – and suspected – about induced earthquakes
- Washington County (PA) Observer Reporter DEP links quakes to fracking in 2016 Lawrence Co. event
Fracking and you
As is true with most environmentally related issues the ultimate control rests with the consumer:
- Keep your thermostat at 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degree Celsius
- Wear fleece or warmer clothes
- Eat plant based foods that require less use of natural gas cooking
- Plant based diets require less fossil fuels to produce than meat based diets
- Less carbon footprint
- Don't use air conditioning
- Contact your energy provider and and push for alternate energy
- Solar
- Wind
