Can the earth heat your home and grow your garden?

A retiree in rural Nebraska grows oranges in winter using geothermal heat… but how is this relevant to city dwellers?

When I first saw this video, I was enthused over the possibilities, and dismayed that it isn’t a widespread reality. Imagine a greenhouse in the cold, snowy countryside. Outside, it’s 20 below zero. Inside, it’s a tropical paradise, full of fruits and vegetables. Best of all, it’s heated for pennies a day using geothermal energy – heat ushered in from deep underground.

I wondered why it isn’t widely used. (I have my theories.)

I also wondered why it isn’t widely used in urban environments. Apparently, it can be… but it’s not simple. A group of neighbours in Montreal banded together to set up a heating system to warm their homes. Their primary challenges were city bylaws and the expense, although they were able to obtain grants to help with the latter.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/what-on-earth-geothermal-heating-montreal-1.6321878

In this case, their goal was to eliminate the need for heating with gas and oil, using electricity to run the fans instead.

Geothermal heating may not be a solution for the chaos that looms as the supply chain breaks down over coming months… but I’d like to believe that we can use it when we rebuild our free society. Geothermal technology can help us heat our homes and grow food in abundance. Fingers crossed.

To learn more about this technology, go to Greenhouse in the Snow.