This is a make up blog post to the robot lab because I was not able create a blog about it due to my surgery. What is geothermal energy? Geothermal energy is energy that is created and stored in the earth. 20% Earth’s geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and 80% radioactive decay of minerals. There is always heat being generated from the earth’s core. The the difference in temperature between the core of the planet and its surface is called the geothermal gradient.
Examples of geothermal energy is hot springs that are naturally heated. These hot spring have been used to bathe in since Paleolithic times. However, now the energy is being used to create electricity. 10,715 megawatts are created worldwide by 24 countries using geothermal power. It is true that geothermal energy releases greenhouse gasses, however, these gasses are released deep inside the earth and much lower per energy unit than of fossil fuels.
The main reason for companies not pursuing geothermal energies with more effort is because there is not much profit to be made off of it. In theory, the Earth has more than enough energy to supply human’s needs. To get to this energy, it is very expensive and not many people want to invest in drilling. If someone comes up with a cheap way to get to this energy, it could change man kind’s energy problem.