Is Energy from Inside the Earth Safe?

Hey kids this post is to inform you on a disagreement on the way we use energy. Two very intelligent authors argued on whether obtaining energy from the earth’s heat is good or bad for the environment. One believes that this resource causes earthquakes while the other believes that it is perfectly safe for the environment and causes no harm.

This heat inside the earth is called geothermal energy. Inside the earth there is a very hot core. Imagine you were to dig into the earth in your backyard. As you do this the ground you are digging will get hotter and hotter until you reach the center of the earth. This center section is the hottest part inside earth, the iron core. Specialists dig deep into the ground and make wells in order to take up the heat as steam or hot water. This heat used to produce energy which is then used as electricity or to heat your home.

The first article I read about this issue was found in a very well known science magazine called Nature. The author, Domenico Giardini, believes that geothermal energy is bad for the environment. When digging up the heat out from the earth the specialists have to pump into the rock that is in the earth. When this happens the rock breaks apart creating cracks called micro-earthquakes. When this happens over and over again it can cause larger earthquakes on the top of the earth’s surface.

However, Ladislaus Rybach writes about how beneficial geothermal energy is for the environment. He argues that geothermal energy is safe for the environment because it is renewable. This means that the energy can be used over and over again without running out. Although Rybach strongly believes that that benefits geothermal energy outweigh these risks. Although, he does state that it does affect the environment negatively. These effects are so little and occur so rarely that these bad parts of geothermal energy can be ignored.

Both articles are very convincing. After reading this post do you believe that geothermal energy is too risky to use? Or can the risks be overlooked? Domenico Giardini’s article is very scientific and uses a lot detailed reasons on how this energy causes earthquakes. Ladislaus Rybach convinces readers that geothermal energy has not caused enough damage to stop using. Who do you believe?

Fun Links:

Geothermal Quake Risks Must Be Faced, by Domenico Giardini. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v462/n7275/full/462848a.html. December 17, 2009

Geothermal energy: sustainability and the environment, Ladislaus Ryback. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VCN-49CMDYC-3&_user=130907&_coverDate=12/31/2003&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1183465754&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000004198&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=130907&md5=38a156826c9f92e5e6e554a46e39403f. April 2, 2003

Anna Perez