Volcanoes' Unsuitability for Plastic Disposal Versus Geothermal Energy Use

Key Quotes

"The problem with throwing it into an active volcano is that active volcanoes are very hot and so what that will do is is burn the burn the plastic debris this releases toxic fumes uh as well as as well as other stuff as well as carbon as well as of course um and the issue when you're doing that in an active volcano is that's quite tricky to fit active volcanoes with good filtration devices to get rid of all those toxic fumes whereas we have a much better chance of doing that if we do it if we if we burn plastic waste in in incinerators and generate uh heat energy and electrical energy as well"

Tamson Maher explains that while incinerating plastic waste can generate energy, attempting to dispose of it in active volcanoes is problematic. Maher argues that volcanoes lack the necessary filtration systems to capture toxic fumes released from burning plastic, unlike controlled incinerators. This means that harmful emissions would be dispersed into the atmosphere.

"so um i was just in iceland earlier this year uh and iceland they have a big program of uh harnessing the heat of their volcanoes so they drill into the volcanoes and extract hot water that's flowing through the volcanic edifices and use that to to drive turbines to get electricity they also put it through heat exchangers um and heat hot water that then they pipe down from the highlands to the cities like reykjavik um and i think about 80 of heating or space heating and hot water in iceland is actually driven by geothermal power"

Tamson Maher highlights Iceland's successful utilization of geothermal energy derived from volcanic heat. Maher describes how Iceland drills into volcanoes to extract hot water, which is then used to power turbines for electricity generation and to heat water for municipal use. Maher notes that approximately 80% of Iceland's heating and hot water needs are met through this geothermal power.

"so actually to get stuff to get a sample of lava you have to push really hard into it or sort of hack at it with your with a hammer or something like that really um and you need special protective equipment so if you if you dropped something on a lava flow it would sit on top of the lava flow in most cases and burn um unless it's made of of heat resistant material"

Tamson Maher explains the physical properties of lava and the challenges of sampling it. Maher details that lava, particularly basaltic lava found in places like Hawaii, possesses a significant strength that requires considerable force to penetrate. Maher also points out that most objects dropped onto a lava flow would likely sit on top and burn rather than sink, unless made of highly heat-resistant material.

"if you have things like some of the flow fronts on hawaii that are relatively stable um and they're kind of doing these these outbursts that you can see happening um you can get you can get pretty close i mean you can see pictures and video online of people uh actually in uh the recent icelandic eruptions and they're kind of cooking hot dogs um putting coffee pots on the flow on the flow fronts um you know cooking bacon and eggs uh and stuff like that so you can get very very close but you would you know you would need to have oven gloves and that type of thing"

Tamson Maher discusses the proximity one can safely approach to certain lava flows, particularly those in Hawaii. Maher notes that stable flow fronts can allow for close observation, with people even cooking food on them, though Maher stresses the need for protective gear like oven gloves. Maher contrasts this with other lava flows, suggesting caution is necessary depending on the flow's viscosity and the surrounding terrain.

"so pele's hair is uh is named after her pele's hair is amazing stuff uh it's basically formed when when a basaltic lava erupts or when bubbles burst even on a lava lake surface you get this extrusion of glass fibers so this stretching of fine glass fibers and then they break and they come up with the hot gases and they collect um on the ground or they collect around vegetation or any rocks that you have and it looks remarkably like animal hair but it's actually more like glass wool or something like that that you might use for for diy for home tasks"

Tamson Maher describes Pele's hair, a volcanic phenomenon named after the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes. Maher explains that Pele's hair is formed from fine glass fibers extruded during basaltic lava eruptions or when bubbles burst on a lava lake surface. Maher notes its appearance resembles animal hair but is akin to glass wool, and these fibers are carried upward with hot gases.

"and the amazing thing about being near an erupting volcano is that the booming sounds are incredible and you hear them through your ears but you also feel them through your body so it's not just because they're so loud that you feel the sound waves through your body you're also feeling the vibrations because they're coming from inside the earth actually traveling through the ground and out through your body as well so it's it's an incredible kind of sounding experience because the sound is kind of hitting you from all directions and then there's the the smells and i guess the most overwhelming smells in volcanic areas are normally the sulfur gases"

Tamson Maher conveys the sensory experience of being near an erupting volcano, emphasizing both auditory and physical sensations. Maher explains that the booming sounds are felt not only through hearing but also as vibrations through the body due to seismic activity. Maher also mentions the overwhelming presence of sulfur gases, which can have a distinct smell and cause a burning sensation.