These pieces swim together nicely.
SPAIN: Scientists Link Deadly Earthquake To Drilling Wells
Farmers drilling ever deeper wells over decades to water their crops likely contributed to a deadly earthquake in southern Spain last year, a new study suggests. The findings may add to concerns about the effects of new energy extraction and waste disposal technologies.
ITALY: Earthquake predictions and a triumph of scientific illiteracy in an Italian court
An Italian court sentenced scientists to jail time for not having a functioning crystal ball ahead of the 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila. The arguments of science and reason fell on deaf ears.
USA Earthquake-Causing Fracking to Be Allowed within 500 Feet of Nuclear Plants
The American government has officially stated that fracking can cause earthquakes. Some fracking companies now admit this fact The scientific community agrees. See this, this, this, this and this. Earthquakes can – of course – damage nuclear power plants. For example, even the operator of Fukushima and the Japanese government now admit that the nuclear cores might have started melting down before the tsuanmi ever hit. More here.
Phi Beta Iota: The chasm between what can be known and what is decided in our name has never been greater.
See Also:
Charles Perrow, Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies (Princeton University Press, 1999)
Charles Perrow, The Next Catastrophe: Reducing Our Vulnerabilities to Natural, Industrial, and Terrorist Disasters (Princeton University Press, 2011)
