Finding Out about Geothermal Energy

by Matt Doeden

Overview

Did you know people can dig underground and use Earth's heat to make energy? This geothermal energy can power your computer and heat or cool your home. How exactly do we get it, though? And what is the impact on our environment? Read this book to find out all about geothermal energy. As part of the Searchlight Books™ collection, this series sheds light on a key science question-What Are Energy Sources? Informative text, appealing photos, and helpful examples will help you find the answers you crave.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467745543
Publisher:	Lerner Classroom
Publication date:	08/28/2014
Series:	Do You Dig Earth Science? Series
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	274,418
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 6.60(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 What Is Geothermal Energy? 4

Chapter 2 Collecting Geothermal Energy 12

Chapter 3 The Pros and Cons of Geothermal Energy 23

Chapter 4 Geothermal Energy in the Future 35

Glossary 38

Learn More about Geothermal Energy 39

Index 40

Editorial Reviews

Part of the “What Are Energy Sources?” series, Doeden walks us through the basics of energy gathered from underground. While these topics are actually more complex than Doeden lets on, he provides a good introduction about where we can find this energy and how we can use it. Organized as an early chapter book, Doeden explains that Iceland and places like it can get energy from hot magma that happens to be at a thin spot on Earth’s crust. However, for most of the rest of us, geothermal energy is used for heating and cooling systems. Any new building project that is trying to go green will use a ground-based heating and cooling system, so I would have appreciated if Doeden had explained a little more about how the system takes the fifty degree temperature of the Earth, and changes it into seventy-degree air that can be blown around a house. However, as a simple introduction, this book works reasonably well. As with the others in the series, the text is illustrated by bright, well-chosen photos and a few drawings. The last several pages of each book are dedicated to explaining the dangers of the energy source. In this case, there was not much to list. Geothermal is both clean and renewable. It just is not always available. Doeden also spends a few pages explaining why we energy sources other than fossil fuels. This book is one of the best of the series. Back matter includes a glossary, a list of more resources, and an index. Reviewer: Amy S. Hansen; Ages 7 to 9.

Children's Literature - Amy S. Hansen