Photo Credit: Jeff Sandquist

The Guardian recently covered a study published by the journal Science which appears to definitively tie natural gas fracking to earthquakes in Oklahoma:

"Oklahoma has had about 240 magnitude 3.0 or higher earthquakes just since the start of the year…. Before 2008, when the oil and gas boom got underway, the state averaged about one a year."

Yikes. That's something like a 480-fold increase.

Meanwhile, in April there was a political quake in Oklahoma that was altogether more positive: pro-solar conservatives defeated an effort by utilities to undermine the growth of rooftop solar, much to the dismay of the Koch brothers and the American Legislative Exchange Council, known as a de facto "shadow government" for corporate interests.

In an era when politics has never been more polarized, it's refreshing to see polls showing that more than 84% of Republicans and Democrats support solar. Of course, what these voters often need are politicians who represent them!

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