June 18, 2010
Geothermal Power: Clean, Sustainable Power Today
Geothermal energy comes from energy kept within the earth itself in order to provide clean, green energy with out adding to climate change. It is more cost effective and scalable when compared with wind generators and solar panels and is significantly safer than nuclear fission. So when searching for an option to fossil fuels, give geothermal energy a chance.
Imagine a future free of fossil fuels, a world where all of us are not shackled by oil or harming our environment by burning coal. With geothermal energy this vision is possible today. Geothermal energy functions by tapping into the energy of the earth itself in order to produce thoroughly clean, dependable energy that does not use natural resources and will always be around for future years. Plus, in contrast to traditional fuel energy sources such as oil, natural gas, and coal, geothermal energy is, for the most part, carbon neutral. This makes it a extremely important tool in the battle against climate change.
But how does geothermal energy function and also what makes this any far better than other types of alternative energy like wind farms or solar plants? Well to put this simply, the earth is hot. In addition to the actual energy absorbed daily by the sun, the earth’s core has adequate energy left over from its formation and from the radioactive decay of elements to cover the entire human population’s energy usage numerous times over. Geothermal plants, such as those in Southampton, harness this particular power by drilling deep below the planet’s surface and pumping water down the hole. This water is then warmed up naturally and the energy is changed into electrical power. They create serious amounts of electrical power too, with ten gigawatts produced in 2007. Although this is actually only a tiny amount of the global total, geothermal power use is increasing daily as more and more countries change over to environmentally friendly sources of electrical power.
As opposed to nuclear power plants, geothermal wells create no harmful radioactive waste that needs to be transported and stored and it offers benefits over other non-fossil energy sources as well. Solar panels and wind generators, while still superb sources of renewable power, are pricey and cannot be scaled up to the extent that geothermal power plants can. Geothermal pumps can range from a small device created to power a single home to huge utility plants that can power an entire metropolis. Additionally it is a time tested technology that has been around for millennia. In fact, the Romans even depended on geothermal wells to warm their famous baths and floors such as those found in Bath in Somerset. The ancient Chinese dynasties tapped into the power of hot springs as well and took advantage of the medicinal properties that the heat provided.
As you can see, geothermal energy has a lot to provide in an increasingly sustainable society. It is totally renewable, creates very little waste, is carbon-neutral, and it is a cost effective method of producing electricity without contributing to global warming. For these reasons geothermal energy is considered a serious alternative to solar, wind, nuclear, and especially fossil fuels as an energy source.
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