GEOTHERMAL POWER
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Other tests indicate that more water from underground
sources will flow into the natural boiler beneath Imperial
Valley as fast as the steam is piped out . . . so it would
seem that the process will perpetuate itself for many
years. It would also seem that if harnessed — thus
one natural generating station could supply a significant
amount of fresh water and two-thirds of the electricity
needed by all of California for decades.
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But how do we know it'll work? Well, of course, we
won't know for certain until we try. On the other hand, 17
steam wells were sunk in Mexico eight years ago and they've
been spouting thousands of barrels of hot water and steam
at pressures reaching 1000 lbs. per square inch and
temperatures of 750°F ever since. Some geothermal wells
at Larderello, Italy have been driving electrical
generators since 1904 and New Zealand has harnessed
magma-power for decades.
The Soviet Union is currently doing some heavy research in
the field and Japan — which has to import most of its
vitally-needed coal and oil — is expected to tap
natural steam during the next decade for the generation of
a major portion of its electricity.
Perhaps the best example, though, of a country making a
real effort to satisfy its power needs with geothermal
energy is little Iceland. True, Iceland does enjoy
some unique advantages that make magma-power more than
usually obvious and accessible to its citizens . . . but
there's no reason to let that stop us from duplicating its
geothermal success whenever possible.
By the way, Iceland is not covered with ice. As a
matter of fact — located on one of the earth's
youngest land masses and perched on an extremely thin
section of the planet's crust — the country literally
boils. Huge plains of volcanic dust and boulders cover the
surface of much of the island and steaming geysers and
scalding springs are common landmarks in many areas of its
largely treeless landscape.
There is definitely an inverse ratio between the unfavored
countryside of Iceland and the level-headed common sense of
its inhabitants, however, because when the people there
decided to make themselves a little progress they didn't
blindly set out cutting and burning and wastemaking to do
it. Instead, they did the sensible thing (remember when we
used to be that way ourselves?) and looked at the earth
around them. "Hummm," they said, "if the water and steam
churning away beneath us is already boiling hot or hotter .
. . and there's so much of it that it bubbles all over the
landscape . . . why not put it to use'?"
