ERC: Lesson - Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources (Topic 6.1) π
β³ Estimated Reading/Watching Time: 15 - 17 minutes
Identify differences between nonrenewable and renewable energy sources.
Earth's Resources
There are many ways to look at energy resources. We can lump them into categories based on how long they last, how they are produced, which are most popular currently, or how much they impact the environment. In this course, we use terms such as renewable, nonrenewable, depletable, and nondepletable to describe various energy resources. At first, these terms may be confusing so letβs sort them out and then provide a table that will help when discussing energy resources.
Nonrenewable vs. Renewable Resources
Nonrenewable resources are resources that cannot be readily replaced by natural means. Renewable energy resources are those energy resources that can be used repeatedly because they are replaced naturally at a rate faster than they are used.
Depletable vs. Nondepletable Resources
Depletable resources are potentially renewable resources but are being consumed quicker than they can be replaced.
An example of a depletable resource is using forest products. In the early days, forests were being cut down so quickly that they were definitely depletable. The U.S. Forest Service now works carefully with timber companies to help ensure that forests are used in such a way as to be truly renewable and nondepletable.
Nondepletable resources are those that cannot be depleted, even at a fast rate of use.
Wind energy is an indirect form of solar energy because differences in heating and cooling at the earthβs surface cause wind. As such, wind will blow somewhere on the earth every day whether we use it or not. Also, wind energy can be accessed to produce electricity every time it occurs, so wind is also a renewable energy resource.
Nonrenewable energy sources are those that exist in a fixed amount and involve energy transformation that cannot be easily replaced.
Renewable Resources
As a human population, we need a clean, sustainable energy source to power our homes, businesses, vehicles, and more. Ideally, this energy source would not pollute our planet and atmosphere. Additionally, it would be preferable if this energy source would not create waste that needed to be stored for thousands of years and did not have the capacity to contaminate the environment for thousands of years if something went wrong. Check out the video below to learn more about the renewable energy revolution:
Solar energy, biomass, wind energy, tidal power, geothermal energy, hydrogen, and hydroelectric power are all forms of renewable energy. If used carefully, each of these energy resources can also be nondepletable. If it is used faster than it can be replaced, biomass is especially prone to becoming depletable.
Renewable energy resources can be divided into two broad categories: solar energy and Earth energy. Solar energies include wind power, passive solar heating, active solar heating, ocean wave energy, and photovoltaic solar energy. Earth's energies include geothermal energy and tidal energy (with the help of the moon). Hydroelectric power can be considered a hybrid of solar and Earth energy due to the fact that the sun is involved with the movement of water in the atmosphere and the elevation of the earth allows for the conversion of the potential energy in stored water to be converted to kinetic energy as the water flows downhill through a dam.
Hydrogen power fits less easily into one of these two categories as the hydrogen must be derived from either renewable energy resources such as biomass or nonrenewable resources such as fossil fuels. If derived carefully, hydrogen itself is considered to be a renewable resource.
The use of renewable energy is gaining traction worldwide as companies recognize that consumers are more willing to accept it as a viable energy option. Many corporations are also reevaluating their environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) policies in response to demands by shareholders
ESG policies take into account a number of metrics including climate change (environmental), working conditions (social), and political lobbying/donations (governance). Since shareholders control the corporation, shareholders can demand that the corporation use more renewable energy, for example, to decrease the impacts of climate change. This is but one instance of how growing awareness of the issues facing our planet is helping the move towards sustainability and renewable energy plays a huge role in reaching that goal.
Until renewable energies become more mainstream in society, we also can conserve energy by being mindful of our energy consumption and not wasting energy. This has the equivalent effect of extending the life of our fossil fuel reserves. With the increasing knowledge and awareness of younger generations, the move towards renewable energies seems to be more likely than ever.
Comparison of Energy Resources
To help keep the major energy resources separate when it comes to renewable, nonrenewable, depletable, and nondepletable, here is a short table that you use to keep track of each energy source:
Comparison of Various Energy Sources |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Renewable |
Nonrenewable |
Depletable |
Nondepletable |
|
Oil |
β | β | ||
Coal |
β | β | ||
Natural Gas |
β | β | ||
Nuclear Energy |
β | β | ||
Solar Energy |
β | β | ||
Biomass |
β | β | ||
Wind |
β | β | ||
Tidal |
β | β | ||
Geothermal |
β | β | ||
Hydropower |
β | β |
As we dive deeper into energy in this course, this table will be very helpful until you get a full handle on each of the energy resources listed.
Renewable energy sources are those that can be replenished naturally, at or near the rate of consumption, and reused.
You should know which energy resources are renewable and which are nonrenewable.
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