Page 15 - Geothermal Energy Renewable Energy and The Environment

Preface

The rapidly growing influence of human activity on the environment has changed the way human
beings view the world and their relationship with it. Until the middle of the twentieth century, the
world was seen as an essentially stable, unchanging landscape. What changes occurred were either
of small global impact or constrained to play out on time scales more familiar to geologists than
the average worker, politician, or student. However, over the last 50 years the cumulative effects of
industrial activity, coupled in complex ways with population growth and economic development,
have become more apparent. We are now capable of monitoring every aspect of the planet’s environ-
ment and have come to realize that the world and the biology it supports have long been evolving in
response to our actions.
Underlying every aspect of the human juggernaut has been the ability to access and utilize what
seemed to be boundless and benign fossil energy resources. With the realization that those energy
resources are, in fact, exhaustible and that their use is affecting the global hydrosphere, biosphere,
and atmosphere, there has developed an interest in finding and developing energy resources that
have minimal environmental impact and are sustainable. Geothermal energy is one such resource.
Geothermal energy is ubiquitous, abundant, and inexhaustible. It powers the movement of
the continents across the face of the planet, it melts rock that erupts as volcanoes, and it supplies the
energy that supports life in the ocean depths. It has been present for 4,500 million years and will
be present for billions of years into the future. It flows through the earth constantly, 24 hours a day,
7 days a week, rain or shine, eon upon eon. It has the potential to provide power to every nation
in the world—in the United States alone, it has been noted that the amount of geothermal energy
available for power generation exceeds by several times the total electrical power consumption of
the country. All of this is possible and with minimal environmental consequence.
This book is about where that energy comes from and how to find it, how it can be accessed, the
kinds of applications that have been successfully developed in the past and what could be done to
improve its use in the future. This book also considers the constraints that affect the use of geother-
mal energy—how water must be managed, what emissions must be controlled, and when utilization
may not be appropriate. Finally, this book also discusses the economic and social issues that must
be addressed for wise and orderly development of this robust and bountiful resource.
The audience for this book is anyone seeking an in-depth introduction to geothermal energy and
its applications. It is intended for course work at the undergraduate level; as a reference book for
designers, planners, engineers, and architects; and as a source for background material for policy
makers, investors, and regulators.
Geothermal energy, wisely used, can contribute in many important ways to resolving one of
the fundamental challenges faced by the global community—how to acquire energy to assure the
health, prosperity, and security of the global community. It is hoped this book will contribute to
achieving that goal.

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