Effects of Geothermal Energy on the Rain Forest

Fragmentation

• Development of geothermal facilities within rain forest ecosystems disrupts the habitat of many plants and animals. The disruption is not localized to a single spot but is spread throughout a region and is made worse by access roads and power lines. All of these things cause the habitats of migratory and nomadic animals to be broken up into pieces, something that can lead to declines in feeding, mating and survival rates. Public relations materials that refer to a very tiny percentage of rain forest being disturbed by projects are misleading. More important than the percentage is the location of the disturbance and the extent to which it is spread out through wide areas.

Toxins

• The process of extracting hot water in large quantities results in the production of many toxic gases and substances, hydrogen sulfide being one of the most important. Many of these substances are present in the natural environment but are disturbed, concentrated and brought into hazardous relationships through the disruption that comes with geothermal development. Hydrogen sulfide mixes with air to produce sulfuric acid, one of the primary causes of acid rain. Substances that exist naturally deep underground are released into the air, soil and water on the surface.

Uses of Energy

• A holistic critique of geothermal development looks at the intended uses of the electricity that will be produced by the project. In many cases, this power will contribute to further degradation of the rain forest, either through intensified industrial development or an increase in human population in the area. When power plants are built to supply a need for power, they tend to create their own need. Once the power is available, more human incursion happens to take advantage of the power that is available.

Water Cycles

• Geothermal wells disrupt the natural water cycles of rain forest ecosystems, which can be quite fragile. The deforestation that occurs in the immediate vicinity of the wells leads to erosion and disruption of streams and rivers. The wells affect underground aquifers and can change the direction of underground water flows. The continuous usage of deep water sources can change the temperature and composition of aquifers, leading to disruption of water distribution on the surface where trees, other plants and animals are dependent on it.