Don, when someone proposes a very unusual theory, that sounds to the average earthquake aware research scientist to be implausible, the burden is on that person to provide strong evidence. Otherwise, it is just talk. If I was going to believe everything that anyone said, I would not be much of a scientist. I know that even very famous scientists are dead wrong. So, the fact that Lowell has some good ideas, knows very much about quakes, does not mean that I will take as gospel everything that he has ever said. This is not the same as saying it is wrong...I don't know if it is wrong. It is just not useful without strong evidence.
Chris