Leh (Ladakh), July 5 (ANI): Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on Monday said despite India being one of the earliest countries to begin geothermal projects lay back in the 1970s, geothermal energy has not emerged as a significant renewable energy option in the country.
Yeah, tell us about it, Mr. Ansari. Behind only hydropower and biomass with vastly more potential than all other sources, geothermal remains the Rodney Dangerfield of alternative energy.
"Over the years I have had many an occasion to attend conferences and seminars pertaining to the subject of energy. To the best of my recollection, however, none of these were focused on geothermal energy," said Vice President Ansari.
Mr. Ansari was addressing an international conference on geothermal and other energy resources.
"The default, perhaps, can be attributed to our lack of sufficient awareness of this form of energy..."
No shortage of people chasing stardust I betcha.
"Many years back the Russian astrophysicist Nicolai Kardashev propounded his theory about stages of civilizations based on their access to three energy sources. He categorized the latter as planetary, stellar and galactic. Others have calculated that our own planet has up to now only reached the 0.72 level in the first, planetary, category and may take a century or two to marshal energy resources on a planet-wide scale," he added.
Man oh man, Nicolai was out of this world. Wonder if he noticed where his feet were?
"Exploiting geothermal energy is not new to humankind. Ancient Romans built elaborate complexes in areas where they came across hot water springs..."
Mere greenhorns. Native Americans were using geothermal heat for cooking some 10,000 years ago.
A bit earlier than that, life probably began around geothermal vents. But it was as unconscious as the average Republican or Blue Dog.
India is getting the message - again. People around the world are learning. Americans, except for Steven Chu, not so much.
And that is very odd. Because, you see, America is the world's #1 producer of geothermal power. Because of one visionary - one B. C. McCabe.
Where did all the visionaries go? Like, for instance, those ancient Native Americans eons ago who knew the sun goes out every night.
Best, Terry