Hey, people of the world, it's Robotics Girl. I hope you guys have been doing good. Hopefully, you guys read the previous post, which was written by alunissage. From now on, she will also be writing posts on Climate Change with Tech. She is a great person with an expansive knowledge of climate change and has worked on many climate change-related projects with me. She will be a great addition to the Climate Change with Tech community. Anyways, I thought that this week's post would be about geothermal energy, and this post will be in-depth. I also felt that I would be talking about the recent climate change-related events, problems, laws, plans, and many more. Let's get started...
Geothermal energy is energy that is generated from the heat from the Earth. It is produced from the decay of radioactive particles, which are located in the Earth's core. Only 0.2% of all energy used in the United States in 2020 was geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is used for electricity and heating in buildings and houses. You might ask why geothermal energy is not used as much. The reasons behind it are the high cost, the location, and the increased risk of earthquakes. You might ask how geothermal energy is renewable energy. There are three types of power plants that produce geothermal energy. The three types are dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam uses steam from inside the ground, and the steam propels turbines. The steam is taken from the breaks/holes in the ground. Flash plants put high-pressure, hot water into low-pressure, cold water. The steam that is produced from this is used to propel a turbine. Binary plants make hot water go through another fluid with a lower boiling point. This process turns the other fluid into a vapor, and then the vapor propels the turbine. It is renewable energy because the heat that produces the electricity is being generated continuously, which means continuous geothermal energy. The advantages of geothermal energy are that it is renewable, there is little maintenance required, it is inexpensive, and it is highly efficient and eco-friendly. The disadvantages of geothermal energy are the low toxic materials, it releases a little bit of carbon dioxide, and the smelling gasses that come from the process of producing thermal energy. One fun fact is that the U.S. is the world's biggest producer of geothermal energy. Another fun fact is that the largest geothermal energy development is The Geysers, which are north of San Francisco. The last fun fact is that the first geothermal plant was created in Lardello, Italy, in 1904. Now, let's get started on the news...
First, there is a heatwave in the United Kingdom, which was caused by climate change. Usually, the United Kingdom has lower temperatures, and this heatwave was unexpected. This proves that climate change is happening, and heatwaves will only worsen as climate change worsens. Right now, elephants are dying because of climate change. They are dying because of the drought. Elephants need 50 gallons of water per day, but because of the drought, there is a lack of water and food. On the bright side, the U.S. will plant one billion trees in the next decade to combat climate change. If you have read my previous posts, you know that trees are vital to combating climate change because they take in the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This can help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Despite all of these problems and projects taking place, here are some ways to combat climate change are:
You can recycle plastic water bottles and bags with the recycle sign.
You can also help with clean clean-ups. There are plenty of clean-ups for beaches, roads, and many more.
You can also educate people.
You can use less plastic.
You can walk or bike. When you walk or bike, you don't release carbon emissions. In worst cases, use public transportation because many people use it, and it doesn't release more carbon dioxide.
You can plant plants.
You can conserve water to have water left, like taking 5-minute showers. You can buy reusable stuff, so you don't need to use too much plastic. You can participate in peaceful protests.
You can also talk to people who have more knowledge about climate change so that you can tell other people.
You can put a bucket in the shower when you shower, so you can use that water for your plants or clean something up.
You can buy local produce.
You can build a garden and grow fresh produce.
You can buy organic produce.
Try to make a difference.
-Robotics Girl
References
“Geothermal Energy Information and Facts | National Geographic.” Environment, National Geographic, 19 Oct. 2009, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/geothermal-energy.
“Geothermal Explained - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).” Homepage - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), eia, 13 Dec. 2021, http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/geothermal/.
Hassan, Jennifer. “Kenya Officials Say Elephants Are Being Killed by Climate Change and Drought - The Washington Post.” Washington Post, The Washington Post, 28 July 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/07/28/kenya-elephants-drought-climate-change/.
---. “Kenya Officials Say Elephants Are Being Killed by Climate Change and Drought - The Washington Post.” Washington Post, The Washington Post, 28 July 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/07/28/kenya-elephants-drought-climate-change/.
Knowles, David. “Scorching U.K. Heat Wave Would Have Been ‘extremely Unlikely’ without Climate Change.” Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines, Yahoo News, 29 July 2022, https://news.yahoo.com/scorching-uk-heat-wave-was-extremely-unlikely-without-climate-change-165124060.html.
Kuta, Sarah. “U.S. Will Plant One Billion Trees to Combat Climate Change | Smart News| Smithsonian Magazine.” Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 July 2022, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/us-will-plant-1-billion-trees-to-combat-climate-change-180980485/.
Lund, John W. “Geothermal Energy.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, 1 Aug. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/science/geothermal-energy.
Comments