Geothermal power, unlimited potential

I refer to President promotes use of fuels made from corn, soybeans, USA Today, May 16.

Geothermal is one of the cleanest energy sources that could meet the long-term increasing demand for electricity. Geothermal is unlimited and clean.

Recently, South Australia was reported as going into geothermal energy and they expect to generate electricity within four years from a demonstration power plant. It is reported that the geothermal power from the project site at Cooper Basin could generate electricity for the whole of Australia for 75 years! This was reported by the Adelaide Advertiser on May 5: South Australia's new source of energy -- hot water.

Wherever there are hot springs, it means there is geothermal heat below. We must take this new technology seriously.

Geothermal energy could be niche industry of the future. All countries sit on thermal energy. Every country is endowed with it. I believe if a solid copper rod of one foot diameter (heat insulated) could be driven five miles deep (or even deeper) at a hot spring, we could transfer the geothermal heat to the surface. Water could be pumped into it like in the Cooper Basin to transfer steam to the surface.

We live in exciting times where we can tap clean geothermal energy to replace oil, gas and coal, which could be regarded as sunset industries.

Geothermal power could transform life dramatically when desalination of sea water, air-conditioning, etc. can be accomplished cheaply on a large scale.

I hope this new technology that is at an elementary stage of tapping geothermal heat will be made cheaper with better heat transfer technology in the next decade or so.

Country should not go it alone. There is a need for a united effort to research this technology to make heat transfer more effective.

No single country or organization could gather the force to take on the oil cartels and oil merchants in a head on confrontation and search for alternatives in geothermal power.

I hope the UN will take the lead on a world platform and make the extraction of geothermal energy a key agenda for the UN this century.

Geothermal power could be the answer and the foundation to bring stability, peace to the world and overcome hunger in many countries.

TAN KOK TIM, Singapore