No Evidence That Fracking Causes Earthquakes

Coincidence does not equal causation. That's a principle that even scientists have a hard time with. Certainly it's way beyond journalists.

"There is no evidence to suggest that hydraulic fracturing itself is the cause of the increased rate of earthquakes," Interior Department Deputy Secretary David Hayes wrote today. Hayes does believe that a rise in minor earthquakes is "man-made," but added that "it remains to be determined if they are related to either changes in production methodologies or to the rate of oil and gas production."