Renewable Energy for the Future

Ryan Peterson

Physics 102

April 25, 2008

GEOTHERMAL POWER GENERATION

Clean, Affordable, Renewable Energy

Energy production has become a serious societal concern lately.  The rising price and declining supply of oil is hitting many people hard.  Other fossil fuels, such as coal, are less expensive for now, but will be ultimately constrained by limitations in supply.  In other words, these fuels are considered non-renewable.  

 

While the price of energy is an important to us, environmental concerns are probably a better reason to seek alternative sources of energy.  The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gasses into the atmosphere which contribute to the greenhouse affect.  Oil can also cause great harm to the environment prior to its burning.  The Exxon Valdez Oil spill which occurred in Prince William Sound in 1989 caused drastic damage to the environment which the area has still not fully recovered from (almost 20 years later). 

 

Luckily for those of us who enjoy the benefits of our increasingly technological lifestyle, there are clean and renewable alternative sources of energy available.    Geothermal energy production currently accounts for less than 1 percent of the electricity produced worldwide.  While it has yet to be utilized on a wide scale, there are numerous untapped sources of this energy around the world.  While it will likely never be our primary source of electrical power generation, there is great potential for geothermal power production in the future. 

A Geothermal Power Plant outside Calipatria, California.

Image courtesy of:  David Mcnew / Getty Images file

Direct Link:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15749933/