Hot ’n’ Old
Thousand year-old trees of Inyo National Forest
Twisted forms appear in the distance as we hike up a trail in Inyo National Forest. Wind-gnarled bristlecone pines stand on a greyish white hill looking out over central California. Some of the trees are more than four thousand years old. They grow slowly and densely due to the short growing season. The surrounding soil is derived from limestone that forms the hill. The soil is alkaline, preventing many plant species from outcompeting the hardy bristlecone. These ancient trees do not grow quickly, unable to compete with fast growing sagebrush that surrounds the bristlecone forest, isolating it, creating an island from the past. These trees have been engineered by nature to grow in the harsh, arid environment.
Changes in the environment could prove catastrophic for the bristlecones. They are slow to reproduce and only found in this one area of California. Climate change threatens to wipe these ancient relics from the Earth. While older trees have reserves of sugars, young trees and seeds need water to grow and survive. This past year no seeds successfully germinated.
Outside of the Inyo National Forest, between the towns of Bishop and Mammoth Lakes, engineering has harnessed the plant’s to generate electricity without generating carbon dioxide. Like the twisted branches of a bristlecone pipes filled with geothermally heated groundwater crisscross into the Mammoth Pacific Geothermal Plant. The plant cycles 1500 gallons of 320 degree water from the plant’s ten wells every one minute. Countercurrent heat exchange heats isobutane past its boiling point and the hot gas spins a turbine and generates electricity. The isobutane passes through air cooling tubes with large fans moving air around them and into a cooling tank to await recycling. The plant has no carbon footprint, providing a great alternative to fossil fuels.
Andy acted as our guide as we learned about the world saving power plant. He began as an operator and has moved up through the ranks over his last 23 years working at the plant. He was happy to be working for such a noble cause. He explained that not only does the plant not contribute to climate change, it does not effect local groundwater, it is pumped right back down into the ground after use. Also there is no fracking required because the local rock is naturally fractured, taking away any worries of chemicals getting into local drinking water. This low impact energy source serves as an excellent model for the future of energy generation and will secure the survival of the bristlecones.
