EnvironmentalOutcome.com

Geothermal energy has the potential to be the next big thing in alternative energy. There is massive amounts of energy being produced just below the surface of the Earth, all that needs to be done now is finding a way to harness this energy and use it to out benefit. All of the research and development efforts that are being put into finding new alternative energy sources should largely be focused on figuring ways to harness and use geothermal energy.

Imagine the temperature at which water boils, now imagine that temperature multiplied sixty times, that is how hot the temperature is at the core of Earth. The temperature at the Earth's core is so hot that it creates a pressure build-up, this pressure is released only a few miles below the Earth's surface creating a massive amount of energy.

Magma, which proves its energy every time a volcano erupts, is an unbelievably hot fluid that if harnessed properly could be converted to energy and power. There are natural vents in which sometimes, this magma will escape from in the form of steam. If we were to construct man-made vents and a chamber to contain the magma then the energy released from the magma could be converted into electricity. There is a great deal of research and development going into creating geothermal facilities. A geothermal facility would work by building a well capable enough to contain magma, once that is done then there would be a pipe running down into the well. The magma would be forced upwards to the surface where it would be converted to steam which would then be used to spin a turbine that would generate natural electricity. 
 
There are many obstacles that stand in the way of geothermal energy's mass implementation. There are many different critics with many different reasons as to why geothermal energy is not worth the time, money or effort. Some say that the research and development going into geothermal energy study is entirely too expensive as well as the costly expense of building a geothermal facility that may or may not make any profitable revenue. The areas where the facility tapped into may end up not producing enough steam for the facility to operate properly, costing even more money. Also, where there is any form of energy research, there will be environmentalists and this case is no different. Environmentalists fear that when the geothermal power plants bring the magma to the surface, they will also bring up other material(s) which could potentially harm surrounding environment.

If more exploration were put into geothermal exploration then all the critics and their criticisms would gradually fade away. Geothermal energy produces no harmful pollutants because it comes naturally from the Earth. What most do not realize is that once a well is dug in a viable location and a geothermal facility is built, converting the magma into energy will require minimal effort. There are so many other types of facilities that are much larger than a geothermal plant would need to be, electrical and nuclear plants as well as dams take up much more space. Since a Geothermal power plant would be much smaller than other energy producing facilities, the environment would not be as negatively impacted. Fossil fuels such as coal and oil have a grip on the world, geothermal energy would create a new energy source that would lessen that grip while at the same time, produce no harmful pollutants and create and unlimited supply unlike traditional fossil fuels. Oil prices are constantly on the rise and creating financial fiascoes for a lot of people, geothermal energy is produced naturally meaning it is not a commodity like oil and therefore will never rise in price. Once the needed research, development and effort are put into geothermal energy, it will turn out to be a very cheap energy resource.