Geothermal Energy could be environmentally unfriendly.

Humans tended to overcome every environmental concern after the advancement of knowledge throughout human history by inventing new technology. Scientists such as Huesemann, on the other hand, have critiqued this popular belief. Others, unlike Huesemann, believe that technology has a good impact on our planet and that it can assist our environment entirely eliminate carbon emissions by developing alternative energy sources. Yet, after reading Huesemann Michael and Joyce Huesemann’s article, it becomes clear that his perspective on this phenomena explains how technology can have a harmful impact on the environment when it exceeds certain bounds.This is clear when Huesemann state, “”While there is hope in promoting sustainable development with the help of science and technology, there are limits to the degree to which eco-efficiencies can be improved“ (Huesemann & Huesemann, 2011). The energy source that this essay is going to focus on is geothermal energy. A form of Electrical energy source that is renewable and is created by the heat in the deep layers of earth’s crusts (Kömürcü & Akpınar, 2009). Even though this energy source was meant to be a helpful asset that could reduce the greenhouse effect inside earth’s atmosphere, after a century, scientists have found that this so-called green energy source has its dark sides too. Geothermal power has several disadvantages and does not satisfy all the conditions specified by Huesemann. One of the negative effects of geothermal energy is potential emissions below earth’s surface, which migrates to the top of its surface. Such emissions contain sulfur dioxide and some toxic heavy metals such as mercury which are released to the atmosphere and that is dangerous for our environment. The second issue is what geoscientists call ”Surface Instability“ which caused artificial earthquakes in Switzerland and found to be the result of hydraulic fracturing; an essential component of setting up geothermal plants (Aochi, Le Guenan & Burnol, 2017). The third issue is that these types of energy sources are location specific, which makes some parts of the world to be unable to use them as easy as other parts like ice lands and on the other hand distributing this energy is very costly. Therefore, geothermal energy does not meet the complex set of conditions needed to make technology environmentally responsible thus; it does not stand up to Huesemann’s critique.

One of the conditions given for green energy by Huesemann is sustainability of energy generation. This implies that energy for both economic and industrial use must be obtained from renewable sources through processes that do not lead to disruptive environmental side effects. In addition, it must meet sustainable waste discharge condition such that the waste released into the environment should be compatible with the ecosystem’s assimilation capacity. Harvesting of Geothermal energy must not lead to pollution of the environment. However, this is not the case since the process of its generation leads to emission of gases containing toxic sulfur dioxide and heavy metals. There is a lot of greenhouse gas below the earth’s surface, which can find their way to the atmosphere during geothermal power generation. Most of the greenhouse gases are concentrated near geothermal power plants thus can lead to health problems. Heavy metals include mercury, boron, or arsenic, which can be very damaging to the environment. Geothermal power plants have devastating impacts on the quality of water make it undesirable for domestic uses (Müller & Heidbach, 2014). For instance, the hot water that emerges from underground has high concentrations of sulfur, salts, and other minerals and can find its way into rivers and other water sources. Such water is not safe for domestic use as it can lead to health issues in humans and animals. Air emitted from the underground reservoirs can be dangerous especially in open-loop system where the gas is released into the atmosphere. The gases contain hydrogen sulfide, carbon VII Oxide, ammonia, boron, and methane (Meyers, 2014). The gases have a bad smell such as the hydrogen sulfide that smells like rotten egg making the environment unfavorable for human survival (Dickson & Fanelli, 2013). When hydrogen sulfide reaches the atmosphere it changes into sulfur dioxide leading to acidic rain and other particles which when absorbed into the blood stream can cause heart and lung diseases. Some geothermal plants emit small amounts of mercury and other heavy metals such as vanadium, which can endanger the lives of residents (Meyers, 2014). Pollution caused by geothermal plants makes it not to qualify as green energy because of the devastating impacts on the environment. Open geothermal systems produce methane gas, which is responsible for global warming. Climate change is an issue that needs to be addressed to ensure sustainability of economic developments especially agriculture in the world. However, with increase in pollutants in the atmosphere, it becomes difficult to deal with the issue. Geothermal power generation activities seem to cause pollution to the atmosphere and making life difficult for living organisms thus cannot be considered as green energy.

Geothermal generation also leads to surface instability leading to catastrophes such as earthquakes, which is triggered during construction of geothermal power plants. The process causes motion of the surface of the earth a phenomenon experienced in Germany and New Zealand. In 1997, the construction of a geothermal power plant in Switzerland caused an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.4 on the Ritcher Scale (Kömürcü and Akpınar 2009). According to Huesemann generation of renewable energy must not have devastating effects on the environment yet generation of geothermal can trigger earthquakes. Although the drilling itself may not trigger earthquakes; removal of the steam from underground fractures and spaces can cause instability along faults or fracture lines. The plants experts may also return some water back into the reservoir to ensure that depletion of steam does not occur. These processes can lead to earthquakes, which can be quite destructive. Stresses in the earth’s crust can influence human life due to strong earthquakes. For instance, in April 211 an earthquake was experienced in Japanese coastline leading to shutdown of power plants (Müller & Heidbach, 2014). The Basel geothermal project was abandoned due to seismic resulting from hydraulic stimulation. Conventional geothermal plants operate on steam, which comes from the earth. However, some regions do not have reservoirs and scientists drill wells deep into ho rock and inject high-pressure water into the holes created. However, Hirschberg, Wiemer, & Burgherr (2014) believe that the geothermal energy mostly affects the environment in a positive way and the negative events such as earthquakes are not the result of using this energy. Water under pressure forces its way into the earth through the holes carving new fractures into the rocks as it absorbs heat. Engineers then start pumping the hot water back to the surface and utilize the steam for turning electricity-generating turbines. This is quite dangerous since it weakens the earth and may lead to earthquakes and tremors. The geologists are aware that infusing water into the earth may create seismic activities but research has shown that such tremors and quakes can cause greater damages Hirschberg, S., (Wiemer & Burgherr, 2014. The amount and speed of water pumped in and out determines the size and the number of quakes. Therefore, geothermal power does not meet the conditions by Huesemann for green energy.

Geothermal energy is generated in some regions thus; some areas in the world may not have access to it. Distributing it from the region of production to other areas can be very costly thus may not be a reliable source of energy. According to Huesemann, materials used in industries must come from renewable resources at rates, which do not go beyond the sustainable yield criterion. Geothermal energy is obtained by drilling deep into the earth crust for extraction of heat that is used to produce steam for rotating large turbines. It may be challenging to find an appropriate site for constructing the plant since there are fewer suitable locations. Only a few nations in the world have sites that can produce geothermal power thus transporting it to areas, which are not favorable for drilling can be quite costly. Geothermal power is therefore, not reliable thus a country must invest in other forms such as wind and hydro instead of transporting geothermal power at high costs. Dickson and Fanelli (2013) state that while this type of energy is much more expensive than other traditional fuels but it is less harmful than other sources of energy. However, they believe that while the impacts of the geothermal energy might be less than other energy sources but it should not be neglected since it can still have negative effects on the environment. Therefore, sustainability is not guaranteed. Another issue that makes geothermal power to be less sustainable source of green energy is its longevity. Some locations run out of steam thus power plants may lack enough energy leading to closer after a short time. If such sites remains open, it can be a source of disaster due to pollution, flooding, and emissions (Meyers, 2014). The high cost of its installation also makes it unsustainable since it requires qualified staff and a lot of training. Few countries have invested in this type of energy due to the advantages associated with its production from the time of installation to the time it is distributed to consumers. Compared to other types of energy generating methods such as wind and hydro, geothermal is quite expensive, unreliable, as well as unsustainable. Due to its unpopularity, there are limited skilled personnel to handle the complex process of generation making it difficult for some nations to invest in geothermal power. Considering the high cost of generation, geothermal power may be unsustainable in countries especially the developing ones thus may not qualify as green energy according to the specifications by Huesemann.

Green energy should not have devastating effects on the environment and should be sustainable. From the installation of generation plants to its transportation and consumption, green energy should not pollute the atmosphere or make life on the planet difficult. The level of pollution has been found to be high compared to other sources such as hydroelectric, which reveals that it cannot be sustained for a long time. In addition, countries cannot depend on it for long-term developments, which reveal that its reliability is questionable. Transportation the energy from the point of production to other areas is also very costly for some countries especially in the developing world. Considering the impacts generation of geothermal power has on the environment some countries may find it difficult to invest in its exploitation.

References

Aochi, H., Le Guenan, T., & Burnol, A. (2017). Developing Subsurface Energy Exploitation Strategies by Considering Seismic Risk. Petroleum Geoscience, 23(3), 298-305.

Dickson, M. H., & Fanelli, M. (2013). Geothermal Energy: Utilization and Technology. Routledge.

Hirschberg, S., Wiemer, S., & Burgherr, P. (Eds.). (2014). Energy from the Earth: Deep Geothermal as a Resource for the Future? (Vol. 62). vdf Hochschulverlag AG.

Huesemann, M., & Huesemann, J. (2011). Techno-fix: why technology won’t save us or the environment. New Society Publishers.

Kömürcü, M.İ. and Akpınar, A., (2009). Importance of geothermal energy and its environmental effects in Turkey. Renewable Energy, 34(6),1611-1615.

Meyers, G, 2014, ”Geothermal Energy Advantages and Disadvantages“, Planet Save. http://planetsave.com/2016/02/11/geothermal-energy-advantages-and-disadvantages/

Müller, B., & Heidbach, O. (2014). Stress and stress release in the lithosphere-Geothermics and borehole geophysics.