Global Warming - A Brief Primer

Carbon dioxide or CO2 and other air pollutants that are collecting in the atmosphere like a thickening blanket, trap the sun's heat and cause the planet to warm up. For the past 200 years, the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, and deforestation have caused the concentrations of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" to increase significantly in our atmosphere. These gases, mainly carbon dioxide, prevent heat from escaping to space, somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse. Carbon dioxide has increased by leaps and bounds in our atmosphere by as much as 30 percent in the last 100 years! With estimations of increases of temperatures of between 2.5 and 10.5 degrees by the year 2100, global warming is a cause of grave concern.

Causes of Global Warming

Coal-burning power plants are the largest source of carbon dioxide pollution in the United States.

They produce 2.5 billion tons every year and account for 36 percent of carbon dioxide emissions and 32 percent of mercury emissions. Automobiles, the second largest source, create nearly 1.5 billion tons of CO2 annually mainly with the use of fossil fuels.

Consequences of Global Warming

Rising sea levels will lead to increase beach erosion and flooding from coastal storms on the Eastern seaboard, in Florida and in other areas, such as the Gulf of Mexico.

Precipitation changes are inevitable, which will increase the risks of drought and floods all over the world. Melting glaciers, early snowmelt and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water shortages in the American West. Warmer sea surface temperatures will fuel more intense hurricanes in the Southeastern Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Significant storms are already on the rise. Sea levels have risen between 4 and 10 inches in the last century. The destruction of beaches and wetlands are also taking place around the world.

Deadly heat waves will be more common. 669 people died from heat exposure in the summer of 1995, followed by 250 deaths in 1999.

Forests, farms and cities will face troublesome new pests and more mosquito-borne diseases. Infectious diseases that were not known to be a problem in the United States before have reared their ugly head. Malaria has been reported as far north as New York, New Jersey and Michigan.

Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and alpine meadows could drive many plants and animal species to extinction.

Shifting ranges of infectious diseases-Diseases that were not known to be a problem in areas such as the United States have shown their ugly head. Malaria has been reported as far north as New York, New Jersey and Michigan.

Evidence of global warming has begun.

Geothermal Energy and Global Warming

Geothermal energy has been used for centuries, but its use has increased recently in an effort to offset global warming since it is considered to be a clean and renewable energy source. The use of geothermal hot dry rock, geothermal hot water, and geothermal heating are currently the most popular forms of geothermal energy. While geothermal energy does emit some greenhouse gases, they are considerably less than that of fossil fuels. Compared to fossil fuels, geothermal energy benefits the atmosphere and reduces global warming.

Geothermal energy has been used since the third century BCE to generate hot water for things like community baths. Geothermal hot water (hot springs) is created through fissures and pores in the earth's crust.

Water that is collected or captured in these fissures is heated all the way to the earth's surface.

Geothermal hot water can be used in many ways. It can be pumped directly into an application for hot water or it can be used to heat buildings, grow greenhouse plants, used for pasteurization or for fish farming.

Geothermal hot dry rock can also be used to generate electricity. The energy from hot dry rock can be harnessed by creating extra down holes, which water is poured into. When natural cracks and pores will not allow for positive flow rates of geothermal energy, high pressure cold water is pumped into the rock. This increases the rate of the geothermal energy, and the water captures the heat of the rock until it is forced out of the ground in the form of hot water. The water is then converted into electricity with either a steam turbine or a binary power plant system.

While geothermal energy itself is renewable, geothermal sites are not necessarily. An overworked site, or one with an excessively large energy plant, can quickly be depleted. The use of water at hot dry rock sites can damage surrounding land. It can create other fissures and stability issues. The use of water at a hot dry rock site can also release chemicals such as mercury, arsenic, and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is theorized that this can be offset by injecting these fluids and gases back into the planet's core.

Geothermal energy is used in approximately 70 countries for heating. With the use of heat pumps, it is possible to heat many homes, as well as bodies of water, using underground pipes and loops which work with a heat exchanger and ductwork.



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