Question

With a gas station on almost every corner, it's hard to imagine life without fossil fuels. Fossil fuels power everything from homes to businesses to cars. But fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources and have negative effects on the environment. To reduce our dependence on these fuels, cleaner energy alternatives have gained popularity in recent years.
One possible alternative is geothermal energy. Geothermal power plants drill deep wells underneath Earth's surface to pump water that is heated by magma. The steam from this hot water spins a turbine that is hooked up to a generator that produces electricity. The cold water is then pumped back into Earth to be reheated.

Do you think geothermal energy is a renewable resource? Why or why not? What are the benefits of using this energy to power homes and businesses? Can you think of any consequences to communities or the surrounding environment?

Answer 1

I do think that geothermal energy is a renewable resource, and it has no consequences to the communities and the surrounding environment.

Answer 2

I think geothermal energy is a renewable resource, because its source is the almost unlimited amount of heat generated by the Earth's core. The benefits of using this energy to power homes and businesses is that it’s clean. Energy can be extracted without burning a fossil fuel such as coal, gas, or oil. Geothermal fields produce only about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide that a relatively clean natural-gas-fueled power plant produces, and very little if any, of the nitrous oxide or sulfur-bearing gases. Binary plants, which are closed cycle operations, release essentially no emissions. No, I cannot think of any consequences to communities or the surrounding environment.