Geothermal Asks ‘Why Burn Fossil Fuel’?

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If a space person ever lands on earth – and deigns to speak to us – they will have questions for sure. Do you think these might center on why we caused so much harm to our environment? They might wonder why we destroyed the memories of the past by burning fossil fuel. Especially, when we have unfathomable amounts of geothermal energy beneath our feet.

Geothermal is Waiting in the Wings to Help

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Warming & Cooling: Fred the Oyster: CC 3.0

In this instance, there’s no need to drill miles down into earth’s magma. Just a few feet below, earth’s energy battery is already measurably warmer. Go into any mine and you may perspire even in the dead of winter.

Modern refrigerants that capitalize on temperature differentials are more intelligent than burning fossil fuel to generate electricity.

A geothermal heat pump uses underground warmth to heat our homes in winter. It follows that when the earth is relatively cooler in summer, we can use heat exchange to cool our airspace too.

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Geothermal Loop: Mark Johnson: P Domain

If we combine this geothermal method with solar energy, we can keep our homes warm all winter while going completely off grid.

We are confident our space person, if they existed, would approve of this idea after traveling such a distance through space. In the image to the left, a large community array is ready for burying in a deep trench.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers “ground source heat pumps the most energy efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space conditioning systems available … particularly where they are used for both heating and cooling and where the electricity is produced from renewable resources”.

Let’s dwell on the comment about renewable energy sources for a moment. If we power geothermal HVAC off the grid, a remote coal or gas turbine likely supplies the electricity. The carbon emission may be far away, but we will still feel the increasing pain of global warming.

Related

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Using Solar Power to Cool a Home

Preview Image: Direct Exchange Geothermal System

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About Author

I tripped over a shrinking bank balance and fell into the writing gig unintentionally. This was after I escaped the corporate world and searched in vain for ways to become rich on the internet by doing nothing. Despite the fact that writing is no recipe for wealth, I rather enjoy it. I will not deny I am obsessed with it when I have the time. I live in Margate on the Kwazulu-Natal south coast of South Africa. I work from home where I ponder on the future of the planet, and what lies beyond in the great hereafter. Sometimes I step out of my computer into the silent riverine forests, and empty golden beaches for which the area is renowned. Richard

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