Archive for June, 2009
Geothermal Energy – Is Santa Really Coming to Town?
The Australian Government is sponsoring ‘Hot Rocks’ or “Enhanced Geothermal Systems” as the new clean and green kid on the alternative energy block, but what is the reality in terms of the risks versus the benefits, and are shareholders being told the whole story, or perhaps the gilded lily version omitting some vital facts, adjusting the ethical investment equilibrium…. somewhat?
Today, that big hole in the sacred grounds of Paralana begins and yet have all the questions been answered? The answer is ‘No’ and the Coober Pedy Times must be congratulated for raising the issues and the bar in relation to the assessment of these supposedly ‘green’ projects. In the modern day media obsessed with all things green and good sometimes its too easy to miss the ‘Fracking’ obvious when it comes down to the truth about the long term value of these supposedly ethical projects.
How is the truth and well being of the land being altered when financial inducements are part of the site clearance process and what is the ultimate effect on the indigenous communities targeted in the pursuit of these commercial endeavours? The Times says:
In light of local Elders being approached for a site clearance, Elders are saying “Petratherm need to prove our air and water will be safe.” Hydraulic fracturing (FRACKing) is a technique that involves large amounts of fresh water, mixed with sand, often containing a witch’s brew of cancer-causing and toxic chemicals being injected under high pressure miles down the drilling hole to fracture the underground formation….” A local Adnyamathanha resident reported “We really don’t know much about this process, but locals are getting nervous with everything around the Beverley uranium mine dying. Where are they getting this water from” ?
These are good and relevant questions and given the positive media spin allocated to ‘geothermal’ it may be timely to have some factual answers. Where is the water to be sourced from and in the big scheme of things how much extra strain will be placed on the Great Artesian Basin? What relationship does this water source have to the Beverley Uranium Mine and the expansion sector, Four Mile Creek? How much water is being sourced for this project and how will it ever be remediated if the whole process is occuring deep underground and there is no apparent risk assessment process or EIS?
Is Santa Claus really coming to town or is this another clean energy Trojan horse and if so who will pay for and clean up the mess?
Further Information:
A quick review of the share market discussion sites at least suggests some intelligent dialogue on issues which seem to have escaped the mainstream media:
Sparty,
Before we get too excited, lets break a few things down for the punters out there.
1/ Sparty says to GDY: ‘an individual who claims that PTR and GDY are going to cause a lot of pollution by releasing uranium and radon into the atmosphere/groundwater’…go back and have a look at whats been said and you will see that is not exactly what was said and yet groundwater and groundwater contamination are indeed central issues of concern.
2/ Corporate measurement of risk of a/ workers and b/ environment has never been a reliable indicator of the truth. If you need substantiation of this in relation to mining in SA please indicate and referenced a plenty will be provided. Suffice to say the corporate body in the process of the act, is not in the real world a reliable authority in the presentation of such facts for the obvious reason that it represents the interests of ’shareholders’ not the environment.
3/ Two aspects of your report are suggestive that all is not quiet or well on the western front, and lets be frank, this is your report not mine.
a/ ‘accidently released with the well head blow out’ – of course it was not deliberately released but is this not suggestive that the technology is immature in that such accidents are to occur and is the outback of Australia yet again to be used a playground for experimental science?
b/ ‘During normal operation the fluid is returned to the reservoir so no deep materials are released into the atmosphere.’ Great, so lets define normal in reference to a ‘closed loop’ system and lets discuss the returned materials in terms of the amassed concentrations of increasingly radioactive materials as the ground geology decays and the chemicals used to assist fissuring enter the system…lets then talk about the sources of water for the system and the quantities of water as these projects move from prototype to real life electricity producing turbines.
There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in this Sparty, but there are facts of life which may well determine the future quality of our lives…and neither the corporates drilling for heat or the SA EPA can realistically be depended upon to guarantee this.
Nevertheless, well done for asking the questions, people need to think clearly about energy and its associated costs, but we cant be naive or lazy about the sources of our information.
J/Lugs
Well Juggerlugs,
I wrote to GDY saying:
I am involved in a discussion with ‘an individual who claims that PTR and GDY are going to cause a lot of pollution by releasing uranium and radon into the atmosphere/groundwater’… It seems highly likely that GDY did some analysis of the steam that was accidently released with the well head blow out. If that is the case could you get something out to allay these rather silly ideas.
Here is GDY’s response:
For your info, we monitored for Radon including personnel dosimeters on workers during the blow out.
Levels were far below that required for health standards of workers. Previously radon was monitored down-wind of steam flow to atmosphere; there was no significant difference between levels while the steam flowed and when steam was not flowing.
There was a correlation of radon with respect to wind speed, but this was natural radon normally present in the air.
The fluid has also been analysed for uranium returning levels below detection limit (<0.00036 parts per million).
During normal operation the fluid is returned to the reservoir so no deep materials are released into the atmosphere.
Juggerlugs you are quite plainly WRONG.
Source : http://www.topstocks.com.au ( search Petratherm or company code PTR)
Recent Media – suggests Australian’s and investors are waking up to the mis-direction of taxpayer funds in favour of not so well intentioned, supposedly ‘green’ clean energy initiatives.
Geothermal Energy: ABC Current Affairs Special Edition
TIM FLANNERY: I can imagine a day when Australia has its own Desertec type of initiative. You know, we’ve seen this in Europe, where the Europeans are putting large solar arrays across North Africa and putting high voltage DC connectors through to Europe. ( its a shame none of the people interviewed covered the damage occurring to the hot rocks areas and the radioactive releases from these operations and the shameful waste of water and so forth – again, why does the ABC choose to interview government PR pundits when there is a real story to cover which exposed some serious flaws in the hot rocks scenario?)
Australian Ethical gets cold feet on hot rocks at Paralana ( Sydney Indymedia)
Shaky Truth About Geothermal Energy- New York Times