I would make these observations: Geothermal, in 2007 provides a tiny fraction of world energy, and there are definte reasons for this. The ability to capitalize on earth's internal heat occurs at very specific sites. Iceland is a hotbed of Geothermal activity, with a tiny population, therefore Geothermal plays a huge part in providing for thier tiny countries energy needs. The world now uses aproximately 85 million barrels of oil per day to run its various economies. The amount of energy contained within this volume is utterly mindboggling, and thats just what is used in just one day. Geothermal will be capitilized on at the specific sites where the earths crust is thin, which is not the case in the vast majority of locations of the planet. Geothermal will not run our current paradigm of cars, planes, trains, ships, mass trucking etc. We will as societies try to compensate in all the ways we can for the reality of coming hydrocarbon depletion, but Geothermal will never provide for more than a very small fraction of the energy that currently runs the economies of our present world. This article reads like a promotional piece for the Geothermal industry. I think the bottom line is Paul, that things like Geothermal advancements will help, but we are headed for a senario of seriously declining growth in the world economies due to the hydrocarbon energy depletion realities set against a soon to be 7 Billion people and growing masses all clamoring for more energy. Call me a doomer, but I think one only needs to look at human nature and the history of our collective actions to see the path we are on.
