Focus Statement: Geothermal energy should be used for places located on or near fault lines. Geothermal should be used with extreme caution for places not located on or near fault lines.
Knowledge: What is? Geothermal energy is a form of sustainable energy where a plant will use the heat from the Earth's core to heat and cool homes, this heat can also be converted into electricity. In areas where there are naturally occuring cracks in the Earth's surface then the heat is already being produced and therefore only the power plant to store and convert this energy needs to be built. In areas where there are no fault lines or active hot spots then there must be an engineered crack in the Earth which can lead to earthquakes.
Comprehension: Can you explain what is happening? In places like South Korea which are looking into engineered geothermal energy, there are some earthquakes ranging in magnitude. At the beginning of development, there were very low-level earthquakes occuring in response to the cracking and digging. As development continued the earthquakes started getting more powerful, but the company never stopped indefinitely and that is what caused the larger earthquakes.
Application: What would result if? I believe if an efficient way to store energy was invented then power plants could be created on active fault lines in the ocean, without disturbing the ecosystem around it, and then the energy could be stored and transported around the world. I think created a riskless engineered geothermal energy system would be further out of reach than finding a way to store energy more efficiently than a battery.
Analysis: What conclusions can you draw? I can conclude that natural geothermal power plants are innovative and is one of the most efficient and sustainable forms of energy. Any area located on an active hotspot should make the transition to geothermal energy.
Evaluation: Would it be better if? I think it would be better if the price upfront for switching traditionally heated homes to geothermal heated homes. Since this cost is so high, many people are unwilling or incapable of making this transition.
Synthesis: How would you prioritize the facts? I think, for locations not on a fault line, the risk of earthquakes is currently too high to make large sweeping switches to geothermal energy. I prioritize the safety and shape of tectonic plates before efficient energy. I would also prioritize public acceptance before price. If the people are against this technology for safety reasons then they most definitely will be unwilling to repipe their homes or pay taxes for public buildings to be heated by geothermal energy. I think the top priority is safety and knowledge on this topic.