A Frickin’ Fracking Enema?

     I thought frickin’ fracking was bad enough, but did you know that in addition to that, a wastewater disposal well pumps 1000’s of tons of pressurized liquid back into a deep hole in the Earth’s crust, loosening the substrata miles below the surface? Eventually it causes earthquakes. Lots of them. It’s exactly like giving Planet Earth a huge enema. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling the Earth’s pain (in the ass)!

     According to the NY Times, in Oklahoma right now there are more than 3,000 active oil, gas, and wastewater disposal wells. Earthquake activity there in 2013 was 70 times greater than the rate of earthquakes before 2008. The state recently acknowledged deep links between the two and set up a website detailing the scientific evidence behind it’s conclusion. I bet Oklahomans are ecstatic about that! Not incidentally, the always festive “Tornado Season” has just officially opened in The Great Plains States (aka “Tornado Alley”). Lately it’s also increased in length and fury. Something to do with global warming, perhaps?

     It bears repeating that Republican Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell (from the massive toxic carbon emissions coal mining state of Kentucky) sent a letter to every Governor of every fossil fuel producing state, urging them not to comply with the EPA’s guidelines for restricting toxic emissions from their state’s fossil fuel production facilities. That’s essentially telling them to break US Federal law! Never mind that coal mining is one of the most dangerous, filthy, underpaid jobs in the world. Never mind that the ol’ Fo$$il Fool could have urged every one of those states’ Governors to add re-education and vocational training to their annual budgets, so their loyal, hard working (cough-cough) constituents might qualify for better paying, personally safer, jobs! Never mind that… Enemas, anyone?

~ Robbie Conal, May 14, 2015

May 14, 2015 at 10:59 pm | Latest News, Robbie's Rants