On this Earth Day, the fossil fuel state of Oklahoma chose to reverse its official ignorance and admit fracking or hydraulic fracturing, and more specifically the injection of waste water into the ground from such operations, is causing damaging seismic activity in the state. It even created a website with an interactive map detailing the scientific evidence collected so far. The state Geological Survey concludes that it is "very likely" wastewater injection wells are causing the majority of Oklahoma's earthquakes. Sparks, Oklahoma experienced magnitude 5.0 tremors in 2011 that caused millions of dollars in property damage.
A recently as last fall Repugnant Governor Mary Fallin suggested that the relationship between seismicity and the state's most profitable industry was speculation. The Oklahoma Oil and Gas Association still disputes the connection even after the Geological Survey's reluctant conclusion. The most intense seismic activity is taking place over about 15% of the state's land area in central and north central Oklahoma coinciding with significant increase in waste water disposal volumes over the last several years. Hydraulic fracturing as the name implies is a water intensive operation using hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per well. Before the fracking boom Oklahoma experienced only about one and half magnitude 3.0 tremors per year on average. Last year the state recorded 585 quakes of 3.0 or greater and is on course for over 900 such tremors this year. Only Alaska has more seismic activity.
According to a group of leading scientists three-quarters of the known fossil fuel reserves must be left unexploited if Earth is to escape the worst consequences of global climate change. The group also specified what a climate treaty at the UN climate summit in Paris later this years should include. Governments must adopt a goal of reducing economies' carbon emission to zero by mid-century, put a price on carbon and put the onus of the most aggressive cuts on the richest countries. Of course that said, convincing people like Mary Fallin whose livelihood depends directly on the fossil fuel industry will be more than difficult. According to the group's statement on the issue failing to act is equivalent to a 10% chance that global temperature will rise by more than 6℃ by the end of this century, a guaranteed catastrophe. Already leading climate negotiators who will be at the Paris summit such as the EU's Miguel Arias Canete are downplaying the possibility of reaching the two degree goal.
Significantly reducing carbon emissions is not a impossible dream, but given sufficient political will an achievable reality. A WWF report in collaboration with Australia's National University maintains that country could produce 100% of its power needs by 2050 if stable national policies were in place to support alternative energy investment. The current official commitment is puny in comparison--only a cut of 5% below 2000 levels by 2020. The report synthesizes existing research to highlight the fact that alternative energy making it cheaper to cut carbon emissions. Solar and wind energy costs have fallen much faster than anticipated citing as an example large scale solar panel power stations already cost only half what the government's 2008 and 2011 modeling studies predicted they would be by 2030. The reports author, Professor Frank Jotzo, said Australia is one of "best-placed countries in the world for moving to a fully renewable electric energy supply". Australia has abundant sunshine, wind, and large open spaces. It only lacks an ambitious long-term plan for reducing carbon pollution that includes alternative energy investment subsidies.