2025 Essay Contest Finalist

Entry by Charlotte McClellan

Our heavy reliance on fossil fuels is causing pollution and is a major contributor to climate change and geothermal energy could help solve the problem. There are many positive aspects to geothermal energy that make it a sustainable choice but also unique. It is clean, renewable, it benefits smaller countries, produces heat and electricity, is not reliant on atmospheric conditions, moves heat rather than making it, and can run 24/7. These all prove why geothermal energy is the best choice to make our world less reliant on fossil fuels.

Geothermal energy works by pumping heat energy out of the ground and turning that into heat and electricity. The location of geothermal pumps cannot be built on ground with a high amount of tectonic activity such as California. However, it heavily benefits countries that rely on geothermal energy such as Iceland and Kenya. The majority of the main energy sources create or generate power but instead, it moves the energy which requires less energy making it efficient, lowers pollution, and decreases heating costs. Geothermal energy takes heat from underground and pumps it into heat and electricity. Since the source comes from underground, it is able to run all day, everyday regardless of other climate issues. This makes geothermal a reliable energy source and is proven by Boise Idaho successfully utilizing geothermal energy for over a century.

In conclusion, geothermal energy would be a great solution to building a better, more sustainable world. Geothermal energy is a reliable, renewable, clean energy source that would not only benefit us as people, but Earth as a whole. It has minimal impact on the Earth as it is clean and renewable. Understanding earth’s systems is vital to choosing which is the best energy source and helps as scientists understand how they are all connected.