Geothermal energy is one of the cleanest sources of renewable energy, unlike some other sources of renewable energy, geothermal energy is contained within a relatively small area, and doesn’t affect local wildlife, it also doesn’t produce large amounts of toxic waste, and is nowhere near as controversial as nuclear power. Unfortunately geothermal energy isn’t used nearly as much as many of the other types of renewable energy, in fact, there are only 12 operating geothermal power plants in the US, a relatively small number compared to the 557 coal power plants that currently supply the United States with its second largest source of power. Yet while the fields of solar and wind power seem to be growing exponentially, geothermal energy remains relatively small.
Sadly the problem with geothermal energy isn’t one that can be easily changed. The reason geothermal power plants are so few and and far between is the overly specific circumstances that are needed to harness the underground heat; geothermal power plants require hydrological sites with naturally high temperatures of around 150 to 370, in the form of wells, hot water is then pumped out of these wells is then pumped out of these wells, into one of three different systems, dry steam, dry steam, or binary cycle. Dry steam is the simplest, but also the hardest to find. A dry steam system will pump hot water out of the earth in the form of steam, since the water is already a gas, it can be injected straight into the turbine
The Earth is our home, so why don’t we take care of it and preserve it? Most people think that they can’t make a difference as just one individual in a world of over 7 billion people, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Anything from being a vegetarian, which highly reduces the amount of water used and byproduct created when farming animals, to carpooling to school helps combat global warming. By convincing my English class that global warming is an important issue that we are facing today and will face in the future, I hope to get them to take their own initiatives to reduce their footprint on our planet Earth.
Coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. When burned, it produces emissions that contribute to global warming, create acid rain and pollute water. With all of the talk surrounding nuclear energy, hydropower and biofuels, you might be forgiven for thinking that grimy coal is finally on its way out. On the other hand, coal is no sooty remnant of the Industrial Revolution - it generates half of the electricity in the United States and will likely continue to do so as long as it's cheap and plentiful . Clean coal technology seeks to reduce harsh environmental effects by using multiple technologies to clean. Coal is a fossil fuel composed primarily of carbons and hydrocarbons. Its ingredients help make plastics, tar and fertilizers. A coal derivative, a solidified carbon called coke, melts iron ore and reduces it to create steel. But most coal - 92 percent of the U.S. supply - goes into power production .Electric companies and businesses with power plants burn coal to make the steam that turns turbines and generates electricity. When coal burns, it releases carbon dioxide and other emissions in flue gas, the billowing clouds you see pouring out of smoke stacks. Some clean coal technologies purify the coal before it burns. One type of coal preparation, coal washing, removes unwanted minerals by mixing crushed coal with a liquid and allowing the impurities to separate and settle. Other systems control the coal burn to minimize emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and
Replace the remainder of coal plants with clean energy solutions that consist of wind, solar, and geothermal within the United
Some advantages to using geothermal energy are: potentially an unlimited supply; does little damage to the environment; does not produce air pollution; does not require any additional structures (solar panels or windmills) to collect the energy; and it does not need to be transported to the power plant. The major disadvantages to using geothermal energy is the need to dig deep below the surface causing damage to the soil when drilling test wells, availability is limited; and there is not much power per vent. This type of energy source would only be available in the Philippines, Indonesia, Mexico, countries of Central and South America, countries in eastern Africa and in eastern Europe, Italy, Iceland, New Zealand, Japan, France and very few places in the United States, mostly in California and Nevada (www.altenergy.org).
On the same note, the energy revolution spoken of above brings forth another advance in the ongoing global climate situation. The nature of the Kyoto Protocol calls for nations to increase research and eventually semi-convert their energy usage to accommodate for cleaner energy. Products such as solar power, wind power, biomass, geothermal power, and hydropower are now widely being studying to create processes that use less coal, oil, and natural gas in production. Altogether the results have
First and foremost, we will be able to keep Washington clean with renewable resources such as geothermal power. “Geothermal power plants use hydrothermal resources that have two common ingredients : water (hydro) and heat (thermal).” (Geothermal Basics pg. 3) This shows that Washington is perfect for geothermal energy projects because we have rain every season, and heat in the summer.
Is coal power the best option for Australia, as current ‘green’ energy options are unable to support our power needs now and into the future.
These sources of energy have a great upside, but right now are incredibly inefficient compared with fossil fuels because of the lack of funding and worldly push (2009). If there isn’t a bigger investment in these alternative energies, fossil fuels are going to maintain their stranglehold on all the economies of the world (Lomborg, 2009).
Moreover, the author continues citing the benefits of geothermal energy. An evident point mentioned in the article is that geothermal energy is a clean, renewable, and dependable energy that can run 24 hours a day, all year round. The author moves forward to mention other real life examples of countries that adopted the usage of geothermal energy. Countries such as the United States, New Zealand, Italy, Iceland, japan, Mexico,and Indonesia are using this kind of energy right now which is so important to prove his argument as real usage applications are
Geothermal Energy: it means the use of heated water and stream to power the power station for turning steam and heated water to electricity but it's expensive
4. Geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth. It's clean and sustainable. Resources of geothermal energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth's surface. Pros: 1. Renewable 2. Efficient 3. Easy transportation Cons: 1.Lots of water needed 2. Electricity is still needed. 3. Unlimited Steam Not Guaranteed
Most interestingly, “according to the International Energy Agency, nuclear energy has already avoided the release of around 56 Gt of CO2 since 1971” (World Nuclear Association, 2015). Moreover, current nuclear generation avoids the emission of over two billion tons of carbon dioxide each year. Many believe that “a wider deployment of nuclear power will reduce the cost of achieving emissions reductions, and increase the chances of meeting our climate change objectives” (World Nuclear Association, 2015). As it right now, “nuclear power accounts for approximately 20 percent of the United States’ electricity production. More than 100 nuclear generating units are currently in operation in the United States” (EPA, 2013). However, “uranium is a nonrenewable resource that cannot be replenished on a human time scale” (EPA, 2013). Lastly, nuclear energy has its disadvantages: “Nuclear power plants use large quantities of water for steam production and for cooling… waste generated from uranium mining operations and rainwater runoff can contaminate groundwater and surface water resources with heavy metals and traces of radioactive uranium” (EPA, 2013). As far the geoengineering approach is concern, it can certainly create potential risks: “The possibility of quick and seemingly inexpensive geoengineering fixes could distract the public and policy makers from critically needed efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build society’s capacity to deal with unavoidable climate impacts” (American Meteorology Society, 2013). Additionally, not only do geoengineering will require the use of sources that could be used for something else, “Geoengineering technologies, once developed, may enable short-sighted and unwise deployment decisions, with potentially serious unforeseen consequences” (American Meteorology Society, 2013). Most importantly, “Geoengineering will not substitute for either aggressive
With the growing need for a safe,and reliable source of energy people need to consider nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is one of the most efficient sources of energy in the world. Nuclear energy can be an extremely reliable source of energy. It can be cost efficient, safe,, and a reliable source of energy. Though nuclear energy may not a perfect source of energy it will be necessary for the future. No other energy alternative is better than nuclear energy. The benefits of nuclear energy far outway any possible risk associated with the usage of nuclear energy as an energy source.
Global warming has been an on-going issue for many decades. Most people would argue that it is a hoax; while others argue it is true. Climate change can cause a domino effect of catastrophes throughout the world. Once it affects one group, then that affected group will affect another, and so on and so forth; like a plague. Global warming is an authentic problem and we need to find more efficient ways to eliminate it, or at least contain it.
People are inflicting major damage to the Earth's environment, and if we don't do anything to stop the destruction soon, the results could be devastating. Most people know about global warming and think it may be a serious problem in the future. What most people don't understand is that global warming is happening now, and we are already feeling some of its destructive power. Because of the dangerous effects of global warming, alternative energy sources need to be aggressively pursued. Finding and utilizing alternative energy sources may be the only way to combat the increase of global warming.