It is a eureka moment for scientists Prame Chopra and Doone Wyborn. Standing in a parched-white patch on the edge of the Simpson Desert, the pair witness the reward for 15 years' hard labour: a continuous blast of steam sizzling from a well drilled four kilometres into the deep hot rock beneath their feet.
At last they have tapped a source of geothermal energy that they say could provide Australia's energy needs for the next 500 years, and which they believe could be a viable alternative to coal within 15 years.
Their magic moment in the South Australian desert is captured in a documentary, The Future Makers, that will air on the Discovery Channel at 8.30pm next Monday.
The Future Makers - Sydney Morning Herald - Dec 3 2008
http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/its-the-ultimate-hottie/2008/12/02/1227980018684.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
From article by Rick Feneley:
It is a eureka moment for scientists Prame Chopra and Doone Wyborn. Standing in a parched-white patch on the edge of the Simpson Desert, the pair witness the reward for 15 years' hard labour: a continuous blast of steam sizzling from a well drilled four kilometres into the deep hot rock beneath their feet.
At last they have tapped a source of geothermal energy that they say could provide Australia's energy needs for the next 500 years, and which they believe could be a viable alternative to coal within 15 years.
Their magic moment in the South Australian desert is captured in a documentary, The Future Makers, that will air on the Discovery Channel at 8.30pm next Monday.