Geothermal Energy: The Alternative of the Future

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Geothermal Energy: The Alternative of the Future

When the energy crisis hit Americans in the 1970's, people were scrambling to find ways to conserve energy. The crisis brought to attention the very real shortage of fossil fuels. Gas and oil prices skyrocketed, and Americans looked for ways to save energy. They started producing smaller cars, driving less, and turning down their thermostats. Also, they started to examine alternate energy sources, such as solar, geothermal, and biomass. For a while, Americans were making a conscious effort to cut back on the use of fossil fuels. However, when gas and oil prices started to go back down in the early eighties, many of the conservation ideas were forgotten. In the minds of most Americans, the energy crisis had been solved because they could now afford to use fossil fuels again.

Looking into the next century, we can see energy shortage problems starting to resurface. The possibility of another energy crisis is very real; however, this one will be different. It will not be a matter of fossil fuels being too expensive, it will be a matter of fossil fuels no longer being a resource. Our gas-powered cars, factories, and heating systems are using fossil fuels much faster than the dinosaurs are turning to coal. The way things are going now, we won't make it through the next century before running out of our fossil fuels.

The problems with fossil fuels go beyond their rapid depletion. The pollution from burning fossil fuels is really taking a toll on the environmentand the atmosphere. Factories in the United States spend millions of dollars on filtration systems to try and cut down on the amount of harmful emissions, yet the environment just isn't getting better. Converting fossil f...

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...[WWW]. Available: http://eren.doe.gov/geothermal/gep.htm.

Geothermal energy will fill energy gap. (1998, October 6).

First Search. Online. Fast DOC Geothermal Energy Technical Site. (1998, November 12). [WWW]. Available: http://geothermal.id.doe.gov/goethermal/faq/q01.html

Geothermal heat increases our energy supply. (1998, October 27). [WWW]. Available: http://www.crest.org/renewables/geothermal/grc/supply.html

Geothermal technologies. (1998, October 13). US Department of Energy, 1-6. Available: http://www.eren.doe.gov/geothermal/history.html

Graham-Rowe, Duncan. (1998, October 6). Resources: Energy: Deep down at the earth's core. Academic Universe. Online. Mclarty, L., & Reed, M.J., (November 15 1998).

The U.S. geothermal industry: Three decades of growth. [WWW]. Available: http://geothermal.id.doe.gov/geothermal/articles/mclarty/index.html

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