Welcome to the first edition of the revamped 350 Chicago Climate Newsletter.

We are past the tipping point of climate catastrophe and devastation. However, despite the enormity of the situation, there’s still work to be done. We are not past the point of no return, not yet at least. While we still have time left, we intend to act, protest, and resist to ensure we prevent the worst from happening for future generations.

Local News/Elections

In case you don’t already know, this year the city of Chicago has voted to divest from fossil fuels. This initiative was eight years in the making and was successful due to the hard work of the 350 Chicago chapter and a long list of allied social and environmental organizations. It’s an important step that coincides with the growing national divestment movement. The recent passage of fossil fuel divestment in the Chicago City Council along with CEJA at the state level has shown that Illinois is making substantial progress on the climate front, but the state has yet to fully divest from fossil fuels, and follow in the footsteps of many other states and orgs.

Divestment Progress

On the divestment front, we’re seeing more and more organizations wake up to the climate reality. The American Federation of Teachers has recently called for divestment from fossil fuels, along with Global Faith Institutions, and Wellcome Trust. Institutions valued in aggregate in the trillions have fully divested from fossil fuels, and we hope the state of Illinois will join them soon. If you want to learn more or become involved with our statewide divestment campaign checkout this link.

Technological Breakthroughs

Geothermal energy has been used for at least 10,000 years as a human energy source, going all the way back to the paleolithic era. Now, it might just be the game-changer needed to save us from catastrophic climate change. There are many different types of geothermal energy and many different ways it can be harnessed. Geothermal electricity generation comes from locating reservoirs of hot water generated by porous rocks heated by the earth’s core. A well is drilled and steam rises to the surface and turns a turbine which creates electricity. This kind of geothermal energy production is only possible where the tectonic plates are shifting, mostly in the western US and Alaska and Hawaii. The US currently has 60 geo-thermal plants, which leads the world in electricity production, yet this accounts for only 0.5% of the energy we use.  

However, a newer method called Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) is creating the promise that geothermal energy can be accessed in many other places in the United States, which could provide up to 10% of our energy in the coming decades. Using the technology first developed for fracking shale to produce first gas and oil, EGS method creates its own reservoir by injecting water into the ground. The pressurized water is shot down to create more holes in the rocks to allow more heat to escape. And this water is returned to the surface where it turns a turbine to create electricity, and then the water is then recycled back underground to repeat the process. Geothermal energy is poised for a breakout - Vox

Not only can geothermal energy for the creation of electricity, but they can also provide direct heat as well, that, if EGS fulfills its promise, can heat every home and business in the United States for 8,500 years, according to the US Department of Energy. Enhanced Geothermal Systems | Department of Energy

Geothermal energy is not only renewable, but it also provides a steady supply of heat or electricity, unlike wind or solar which are intermittent sources. Therefore, there is no need for storage.

In addition, since the EGS method uses much of the same technology used in the oil and gas industry, workers from these industries could be re-trained and employed by the new industry, mitigating the job losses of that sector.

How much electricity can be produced from Enhanced Geothermal Energy in the United States? The Dept of Energy believes we can at least increase our production 20-fold to provide 10% of our electricity. But many other researchers believe that geothermal holds a much greater promise. According to Daniel Oberhaus and Caleb Watney in their paper “Geothermal Everywhere: A New Path for American Renewable Energy Leadership,” (2021) EGS will begin in the Western US, but as they learn more and develop better technological methods, with less and less local environmental impacts, the process will become more economic benefits to producers. EGS, therefore, could create “effectively limitless electrical energy making geothermal well-suited to the energy and climate challenges of the 21st century. But it also points to a future where Americans have access to effectively limitless energy.” https://innovationfrontier.org/geothermal-everywhere-a-new-path-for-american-renewable-energy-leadership/

The Department of Energy currently has begun the EGS process at four different sites in the US as a way to demonstrate to companies and investors that Enhanced Geothermal Systems can not only create clean, renewable, constant energy, but can turn a profit as well. This technology provides some much needed hope to a world already on fire.

Parting Words

If you’d like to become involved in the fight for climate justice, please email [email protected]. There is always more work to be done and we need all the help we can get to fight for climate justice.