See 7 million Americans at risk of man-made earthquakes, USGS says for the story and some maps
Some states have prohibited the use of extracting oil or gas using fracking. I think New York State is one of them. Their initial concern was not increasing their seismic risk, but the possible contamination of their ground water.
As we become more technologically advanced, I do think that we need to be careful that we don't introduce new hazards into our communities for the current or future generations. For instance, once you have extracted the oil you have to transport it. Since pipelines are under assault here in the United States the best, safest and cheapest alternative is shipping oil by rail. And, we've seen that there can be derailments and other challenges from moving the oil. All of the above come from our need for the modern products that make our daily routines better, safer and more productive.
If you don't like oil then give up on plastics. And, I'm not just saying plastic bags. Find a smart phone that doesn't use plastic; a plastic free car; a TV that has a wooden bezel; all natural keys for your laptop--like the one I'm typing on. Oil, plastics and a host of other products are part of our daily lives. We just need to be smart about the choices we make.
