OTHER RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES Geothermal is contained in reservoirs of steam, hot water, and hot dry rocks underground, which absorb heat from magma. If brought to the surface, this energy can be used to drive a turbine to produce electricity or can be piped through buildings as heat. In agriculture, geothermal water is used mainly as a source of heat and moisture. Irrigation pipes under the soil can bring hot water to cold ground, thus extending the growing season and avoiding damage from low air temperatures. Geothermal water can also sterilise soil to fight pests, fungi, and diseases that can harm crops. Farmers can also apply the steam above the soil which will be covered with a plastic sheet to keep the heat inside. Geothermal energy is attractive because it has little impact on the environment. However, geothermal agriculture is only practical in areas that have geothermal resources , as installing equipment to pipe geothermal water into a farm can be expensive and time-consuming. Geothermal energy 1 2 MORE Italy uses its geothermal waters for spas and district heating such as those in Ferrara, Vicenza and Acqui Terme. 1 MORE Iceland is one of the countries where this source produces a significant amount of energy. 2 Tidal energy is powered by the natural rise and fall of ocean tides and currents. Special technologies such as and turbines, positioned underwater, can capture the power of waves and tides and convert it into clean, pollution-free electricity. Tides are and stable, so it is easy to decide where to put tidal turbines and how much energy they will generate. Its main farming applications include: aquaculture and the production of electricity and exploitation of energy for the mechanical grain in grain mills. Some of the disadvantages are plant construction costs, location limits and a negative impact on aquatic and coastline ecosystems. Tidal energy 1 paddles predictable figure out crushing DO What do tides depend on? Where can the highest tidal range be found? 1 Biomass fuels include wood, wood waste, manure, sugar cane, and many other by-products from a variety of agricultural processes and also organic components of urban and industrial waste. When burned, the chemical energy is released as heat. Crops such as sunflower or canola can be used to make fuel for vehicles (biofuel or biodiesel). corn, or fast-growing trees can be pelletised and burned for heating buildings or converted to electricity. However, this is not a perfect source of energy since it has some disadvantages: Biomass corn stovers, Switchgrass, 2 using animal and human waste to power engines increases methane gases; uncontrolled biomass production can result in deforestation; all plant matter needs a great deal of water; biofuels must be fortified with fossil fuels to increase their efficiency. DO In your opinion, which alternative energy source may solve the problem of global warming? 2 Green hydrogen Hydrogen is an efficient energy source for vehicles, but there are serious questions regarding its production, storage, and distribution. The only 100% sustainable hydrogen is "green hydrogen", which is generated through the electrolysis of water in special electrochemical cells powered by electricity produced from renewable sources.