What are your thoughts on whether we should "mine" geothermal heat in a way that could theoretically last hundreds or thousands of years, but not tens of thousands of years before depleting the resource? Such activity would not be strictly sustainable in the long haul, but could seem abundant for many generations. Should we care about this? Where do you land?

Short Answer

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Answer: Personally, I believe that if we can develop and utilize geothermal heat mining in a way that ensures sustainability and maintains the resource for future generations, it is an option worth pursuing. While taking into consideration the potential environmental and social impacts, we should strive to find a balance between meeting today's energy demands and preserving the resources for tomorrow. Advancements in technology and responsible resource management can potentially help us achieve this balance and make the most of this abundant resource, without depleting it.

Step by step solution

01

Pros of mining geothermal heat

Geothermal energy is a reliable and abundant source of power, with low greenhouse gas emissions and relatively low environmental impacts compared to fossil fuels. Using this resource could help to reduce dependency on finite fossil fuel resources while still providing a stable power supply. Additionally, geothermal energy is not weather-dependent, making it a consistent and predictable energy source.
02

Cons of mining geothermal heat

Although geothermal energy is considered renewable, it might not remain sustainable if it is mined at a rate faster than it can be replenished. This could eventually lead to the depletion of the resource after tens of thousands of years. Moreover, despite its low environmental impact, there are still concerns regarding land use, water consumption, and the potential for seismic activity associated with geothermal development.
03

Considering long-term implications

One of the main concerns in the discussion is whether the benefits of mining geothermal heat over many generations outweigh the risks of depleting the resource in the long term. This factor should be carefully assessed, potentially through modeling and projections of resource utilization over time. It is essential to consider the importance of preserving resources for future generations and to avoid passing on an exhausted resource to them.
04

Personal opinion

After evaluating the pros and cons of mining geothermal heat, the student should provide their personal standpoint on whether it is a responsible and practical idea. The opinion should consider factors such as technological advancements, the potential for sustainable use of the resource, and the importance of balancing the needs of the present with those of the future. For example: "Personally, I believe that if we can develop and utilize geothermal heat mining in a way that ensures sustainability and maintains the resource for future generations, it is an option worth pursuing. While taking into consideration the potential environmental and social impacts, we should strive to find a balance between meeting today's energy demands and preserving the resources for tomorrow. Advancements in technology and responsible resource management can potentially help us achieve this balance and make the most of this abundant resource, without depleting it."

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Most popular questions from this chapter

If it were possible to achieve \(60 \%\) of the theoretical maximum heat engine efficiency for a geothermal plant, how deep would it have to drill to access high enough temperatures to match the \(35 \%\) efficiency of fossil fuel power plants if the thermal gradient is \(25^{\circ} \mathrm{C} / \mathrm{km} ?\) Have we drilled this far before?

The Sihwa tidal power plant has a reservoir area of \(30 \mathrm{~km}^{2}\) and is rated to generate \(254 \mathrm{MW}\) of electrical output. If generation efficiency is \(90 \%\), what initial water height does the power rating correspond to, assuming a 6 hour discharge time?

A typical college campus is probably about one square kilometer in area. How much power out of Earth's 44 TW geothermal budget passes through the campus area, assuming uniform distribution across the \(5.1 \times 10^{8}\) square kilometers of earth's surface? How does this compare to a typical college electrical demand of about \(20 \mathrm{MW} ?\)

On the basis of fluid power scaling as the cube of velocity, show the supporting math for the claim in the text that a water current at \(1 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s}\) delivers the equivalent power (per rotor area) as a wind speed of about \(9 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s}\).

At \(4 \mathrm{~km}\) down, we expect the \(\Delta T\) to be about \(100^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\), and each cubic meter of rock would contain about \(250 \mathrm{MJ}\) of thermal energy. If \(50 \%\) of the maximum theoretical efficiency were achieved from an ambient environment at \(288 \mathrm{~K}\), how much rock thickness would have to be depleted in a year to satisfy a \(1 \mathrm{~km}^{2}\) campus whose output electricity demand is \(20 \mathrm{MW}\) ?

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