Submission + - Not in my ZIPCODE: Fracking increases hospital visits (plos.org)
Michael Tiemann writes: An article published in PLOS One finds increased hospital admissions significantly correlated to living in the same ZIP CODE as active fracking sites. The data comes from three counties in Pennsylvania, whose ZIP CODEs mostly had no fracking sites in 2007 and transitioned to a majority of ZIP CODEs with at least one fracking site. While the statistical and medical data are compelling, and speak to a significant correlation, the graphical and informational figures flunk every Tufte test, which is unfortunate. Nevertheless, with open data and Creative Commons licensing, the paper could be rewritten to provide a more compelling explanation about the dangers of fracking to people who live within its vicinity, and perhaps motivate more stringent regulations to protect them from both immediate and long-term harm.
