Geothermal Energy and Local Societies – A NIMBY Syndrome Contradiction?

Abstract

The present work refers to the Geothermal Energy sector and focuses on the record, processing and assessment of the data that structure the relation between geothermal energy development and local societies. The study focuses on the islands of Milos and Nisiros that exhibit a rich geothermal potential capable of covering a wide range of applications, while it includes areas that provide historical data arising from similar activities.
The social study that took place during the spring of 2004 in the island of Milos and during the autumn of the same year in the island of Nisiros covered a significant sample of the two societies and multiple issues of the geothermal energy matter. Special attention was provided to the representational samples with regards to the age, the occupation and the cultural level.
The conclusions from each section are of particular interest, providing a framework for consideration that could form a creative basis for the development of geothermal energy applications with the aid of the local society.