■ Requires adequate water and fertilizer, sources of which are declining.
■ The corn being diverted to produce ethanol would raise food prices (law
of supply and demand).
■ There is the potential for massive deforestation and a loss of habitat,
resulting in a decrease in biodiversity.
■ There is a risk of a loss of jobs in current and traditional fossil-fuel
producing and supporting industries.Geothermal
Heat contained in underground rock and fluids from molten rock (magma), hot
dry-rock zones, and warm-rock reservoirs produces pockets of underground dry
steam, wet steam, and hot water.
This steam can be used to drive turbines, which can then generate electricity.
Geothermal energy is being used in California, Hawaii, Iceland, Japan, Mexico,
New Zealand, and Russia. Areas of known geothermal resources tend to follow
tectonic plate boundaries.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Figure 8.15 Geothermal power plant