Geologist stands trial for triggering earthquakes in Switzerland

The Telegraph ^ | December 16, 2009

[myknowledge]

Markus Haering, who designed the geothermal project, rejected allegations that he deliberately damaged properties and said local people knew the risks.

The deep drilling underground caused a series of earthquakes in 2006, including one of 3.4 magnitude, rattling residents of the north-western city of Basel. Geopower Basel, the project leader, has already paid around 9 million Swiss francs (£5.3 million) in compensation for cracked walls and other damage on properties near the experiment.

The project was suspended at the time and shut down last week after a risk analysis concluded that more quakes could follow if the drilling continued.

[myknowledge]

Look what I can do! I can make an earthquake with my deep drilling machine!

Oops.

[This_far]

I recall a thread here in the past few weeks where a company just recently stopped drilling in (California?).

[Stultis]

But what about all that geothermal energy available just a kilometer or two down, where the temperature of the earth is millions of degrees?

Clearly ManBearPig is causing the quakes!

[allmost]

the court claims that this man can move the earths crust

[spodefly]

Scratch Geothermal off the list of “alternative energy sources” ... unless you happen to have vents on the surface, no one anywhere will ever again drill for geothermal.

[paulycy]

the court claims that this man can move the earths crust

Is his name Tim?

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Housing that can’t take a 3.4 quake should be condemned and demolished anyway.

[huldah1776]

Maybe, maybe not.

http://www.drury.edu/multinl/story.cfm?ID=20876&NLID=246

[chuck_the_tv_out]

Seriously though, we have to realize that work on earthquake weapons & etc. must actually be going on right now.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

albore partner Altarock

[paulycy]

Tesla did it. You just can't trust that guy.

[This_far]

albore partner Altarock

Thank you!

(do you recall if/how much was his money -- or was he again, a 'pass through' like the electric car deal, taking a commission, regardless of results)

[Rocky]

But... it was green energy, wasn’t it? Those Euro-wackos just can’t be satisfied.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

Well at least there's no CO2.....

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Ms. Petty founded AltaRock with $4 million from Kleiner Perkins and Khosla Ventures, an investment firm based in California.

Google dumped a buncha bucks into it too. They stopped drilling back in September due to "geologic anomilies", and some permit problems.

[This_far]

Thanks, interesting reading. I see that AltaRock has a new project in Oregon.

As part of a newly announced $338 million boost for 123 geothermal energy projects nationwide, the Department of Energy will sink $25 million into what is called an “enhanced” or “engineered” geothermal demonstration project in Oregon being developed in part by AltaRock Energy, which recently halted work on a similar venture in California due to drilling problems.

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/altarock-geothermal-gets-new-boost/

[Da Mav]

They also got megamillions of our tax dollars before abandoning the site. This was one of the key “green energy” projects pushed enthusiastically by the Obamatroids during the campaign.

[grey_whiskers]

Funny, my wife says the earth moves every time I drill too.

Maybe I should look into a green energy grant?

Cheers!

[jan in Colorado]

ping

[WLR]

I look for the condemnation of Thermal Energy to become a slow steady drumbeat. Increasingly backed at some point by the Petro-Chemical Companies, The current Utility Companies etc..

All the energy you could ever use in your home sits a few hundred feet below and only takes some persistence and effort to obtain and convert it.

Permits. regulations.. the State declaring it owns the energy beneath your home.. All coming soon..

W