There were many presentations today at the Avon Hills conference, one of which was on Geothermal energy. When I was in my first few years of high school I did a project on that so I had a very light background going into the session. The talk was presented by a Geothermal provider native to MN. Geothermal energy works many ways. One way is by drawing water from underneath the ground up to the building. The water from the ground heats the building and when the water leaves it takes with it the cold from the building. I was concerned about the amount of water that is used but the speaker assured me that the water is recycled. However, I doubt that it can be used as drinking water after the fact.

There are several types of pumps. Two of which are:

• Forced air pumps, which work from water to air
• Hydronic pumps which is water to water and takes the heat from the ground, like I described above.

I have friends from back home who installed solar panels on their roof and use that as their main source of energy. Though expensive to install the money they save is well worth it and it is a earth-friendly way to harness energy. Geothermal heating and cooling is also good for our earth. The state of MN will pay for parts of the installation of geothermal pumps and, like solar panels, geothermal energy essentially pays for itself with the savings you incur.

In the exhibit room there was a booth for the Master Naturalists of MN. It's mission is to "promote awareness, understanding, and stewardship of MN's natural environment." It's basically nature's version of the peace corps. Master Naturalists complete and long, hands on course studying natural history, environmental interpretation, and conservation stewardship. They also complete 40 hours of volunteer service. What makes the degree even more awesome is that you have the title of "Master Naturalist" (no longer a title reserved only for the most evil Timelord in the universe.)