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Scientific American: Stop Mining for Oil, start drilling for Heat

Scientific American: Stop Mining for Oil, start drilling for Heat Drilling rig on site of 30 MW Bald Mountain geothermal project (source: Oski Energy)
Alexander Richter 28 Jun 2011

With all the energy right beneath our feet, as argued by geologist Craig Dunn, COO of Canadian Borealis GeoPower, are we not sto mining for oil and coal, but start drill for heat, so in a recent article by Scientific American.

In a recent article in Scientific America, the author makes the argument that we should stop mining for oil (and coal) and start instead drilling for heat.

If – so written in the article – are there several methods of harvesting energy in rocks, which has been done since 1911 in Italy, and the development in drilling techniques for oil and gas, is there no more use of geothermal energy.

“All the energy we need is right beneath our feet,” argues geologist Craig Dunn, chief operating office of Borealis GeoPower, a Canadian geothermal developer, an advisor to the Equinox Summit and its search for alternative energy technologies. The summit paired “future leaders” with old-school scientists to develop a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy security and extend modern energy to the billions of people who do not presently enjoy it. Geothermal could play a key role. As Dunn says: “the top one percent of the planet has enough energy to power and heat civilization for approximately 6 billion years.”

The article then also looks into some of the points raised again and again on EGS, and various research efforts.

Interesting read.

Source: Scientific America