Federal funding of research and development in geothermal will make geothermal the best solution for providing electrical power in the United States
Brittany McManus
Abstract:
The unprecedented Paris Agreement means the United States needs to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the highest percentage of greenhouse gases emitted, the United States must replace fossil fuels in the production of electricity. Currently there are several options being put forth but their distribution/access remains limited due to natural resource availability. Geothermal on the other hand can operate 24 hours a day. The largest impediment to geothermal power plants are industry costs. The United States can use funding from Mission Innovation and federal funding to promote
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The most popular options have relied on surface processes like wind, water, and sunlight. Solar, wind, and water power plants are limited to specific locations where their natural resources can be used. Unfortunately, these three alternative clean resources are not as easily accessible across the country. The geothermal gradient reaches temperatures suitable for geothermal production purposes within the first few kilometers of the continental crust. This means geothermal sites can be built in each region of the United States. Dams, windmills, and solar fields take up large areas of land which can be another challenge for building across the nation. Geothermal power plants in comparison take up far less surface space, causing less of a disruption to the surrounding environment. Relying on the weather can cause disruptions in production and require electrical storage capacity, creating an additional cost. Geothermal energy only requires fluid, heat, and permeability to be operational 24 hours a day (U.S. Department of Energy Annual Report Geothermal Technologies
"5 Things to Know About a Geothermal Heat Pump." The Family Handyman. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014
Research Question: Are we sure enough about the alleged anthropogenic cause of climate change to embrace the uncertainties of geoengineering?
There are many sources of energy today, and the best source of it is constantly being sought after, one source stands out above the rest. Nuclear energy is simple in theory, yet it may be one of the most controversial sources of power. Nuclear energy works using reactors built to split the atoms (nuclear fission) of the fuel to produce heat. This heat evaporates the cooling agent (usually water) into steam which turns turbines to create electricity. Nuclear energy should be allowed, because it produces an abundance of electricity, as well as being a clean source of energy with no harmful emissions. Nuclear energy is the future of clean, environmentally friendly energy.
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Hydraulic fracturing, or it’s more common name fracking, has been a very debatable topic for decades. Fracking is when chemicals, water and sand are pumped into the ground to break apart rock so that natural gas can be released. Not only is fracking obviously bad for the environment, but it also has many impacts on the people that surround the area. Fracking has short term benefits, but long term consequences and impacts to the entire ecosystem. Fracking that is done today can affect our future generations for many years and generations to come. Although hydraulic fracking may reduce our dependency of oil on other countries and stabilize our economy, fracking has way too many environmental and health impacts; therefore proving that fracking is problematic and should not be an energy resource that countries depend on.
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According to Curt R. Bartol & Anne M. Bartol (2015), the topic of recovered or repressed memories has been an extremely controversial topic among psychologists for many years. The controversy surrounding recovered memories began around the end of the 20th century when there was a rapid increase in situations where individuals claimed that they had recovered forgotten memories from their past. The recovered memories that were reported during this time period were most frequently associated with child sexual abuse and satanic ritual abuse. The debate over this topic has forced a major division between researchers and practitioners throughout the field of psychology. This divide among psychologists is centered on opposing points of view concerning
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Nuclear power, one of the world’s most talked about topic at the moment. The debate on whether nuclear power should or shouldn’t be used. Implementing nuclear power in most regions of the world would lead to cleaner air, a decrease in the rapidly increasing climate change. Also, a more reliable and efficient power source for the world. As well, it’s very safe, so we don’t need to worry about accidents occurring.
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Mining is the process or industry of obtaining minerals from the earth. Topics in this paper I’ll be specifically discussing are pros and cons of mining, structures of a mine, mining in general, California gold rush, diamonds in Africa, and comparison of diamond and gold mines.
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