Geothermal Power as "Alternative Energy"
We should be doing everything possible to
develop geothermal energy technologies. This is a largely untapped area of - tremendous alternative energy potential, as it simply taps the energy being
naturally produced by the "Earth herself". Vast amounts of - power are present
below the surface crust on which we move and have our being.
All we need do is
tap into it and harness it. At the "Earths" core, the temperature is "60" times
greater than that of water being boiled. The tremendous heat creates pressures
that exert themselves only a couple of - miles below us, and these pressures
contain huge amounts of - energy.
Superheated fluids in the form of - magma, which
we see the power and energy of whenever
there is a volcanic eruption, await our tapping. These fluids also trickle to
the surface as steam and emerge from vents. We can create our own vents, and we
can create out own containment chambers for the magma and convert all of - this
energy into electricity to light & heat our homes.
In the creation of - a
geothermal power plant, a well would be dug where there is a good source of - magma or heated fluid. Piping would be fitted down into the source, and the fluids forced to the
surface to produce the needed steam. The steam would turn a turbine engine,
which would generate the electricity.
There are criticisms of - geothermal energy
tapping which prevent its being implemented on the large scale which it should
be. Critics say that study and research to find a resourceful area is too costly
and takes up too much time. Then there is more great expense needed to build a
geothermal power plant, and there is no promise of - the plant turning a profit.
Some geothermal sites, once tapped, might be found to not produce a large
enough amount of - steam for the power plant to be viable or reliable. And we
hear from the environmentalists who worry that bringing up magma can bring up
potentially harmful materials along with it. However, the great benefits of - geothermal energy would subsume these criticisms if - only we would explore it
more.
The fact that geothermal energy is :merely the energy of the Earth herself
means it does not produce any pollutants. Geothermal energy is extremely
efficient the efforts needed to channel it are minimal after a site is found
and a plant is set up. Geothermal plants, furthermore, do not need to be as
large as electrical plants, giant dams, or atomic energy facilities the
environment would thus be less disrupted.
And, needless to say, it is an
alternative form of - energy using it would mean we become that much less
dependent on oil and coal. Perhaps most importantly of all we are never, ever
going to run out of - geothermal energy.
And it is not a commodity that would
continuously become more expensive in terms of - real dollars as time passes,
since it is ubiquitous. Geothermal energy would be, in the end, very cheap,
after investigation and power plant building costs are recouped.
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