Natural Resources

Natural resources are the resources that exist (on the planet)
independent of human actions.

Any natural substance that humans use can be considered a natural

resource. Oil, coal, natural gas, metals, stone and sand are natural
resources. Other natural resources are air, sunlight, soil and water.
Animals, birds, fish and plants are natural resources as well.
Natural resources are used to make food, fuel and raw materials for the
production of goods. All of the food that people eat comes from plants
or animals. Natural resources such as coal, natural gas and oil provide
heat, light and power.
Natural resources also are the raw materials for making products that
we use everyday from our toothbrush and lunch box to our clothes,
cars, televisions, computers and refrigerators.

There are two types of natural resources:

1. Renewable: Renewable resources are those natural resources
such as trees, water, sun and wind that can be replenished at
about the same rate at which they are used. Renewable resources,
however, can be depleted if not properly managed or conserved.

2. Non-Renewable: Nonrenewable resources are those natural

resources that are depleted more quickly than they can
regenerate. Fossil fuels like oil and natural gas were formed over
millions of years. Once mined and used completely, nonrenewable
resources are gone forever.
 Difference between Renewable resources and Ron-renewable
resources:

Renewable resource Non-renewable resource

It can be renewed as it is Once completely consumed, it

available in infinite cannot be renewed due to limited
quantity stock

Sustainable in nature Exhaustible in nature

Low cost and High cost and less

environment-friendly environment-friendly

Replenish quickly Replenish slowly or do not

replenish naturally at all

The 5 most important natural resources are:

1. Air: Clean air is important for
all the plants, animals and
humans to survive on this
planet. So, it is necessary to
take measures to reduce air
pollution.
2. Water: 70% of the Earth is
covered in water and only 2
% of that is freshwater.
Initiative to educate and
regulate the use of water should be taken.
 3. Soil: Soil is composed of various particles and nutrients. It helps
plants grow.
4. Iron: It is found as mineral silica and is used to build strong
weapons, transportation and buildings.
5. Forests: Forests provide clean air and
preserve the ecology of the world. Trees
are being cut for housing and
construction projects.

The Challenges of Using Natural Resources:

Extracting, processing and using natural resources can cause

environmental problems such as: air, land and water pollution;
disruption or destruction of ecosystems; and a decrease in biodiversity.
For example, carbon dioxide – which is produced from burning coal, oil
and natural gas (fossil fuels) – is a critical greenhouse gas. Greenhouse
gases absorb and retain heat from the sun. Examples of greenhouse
gases include methane, ammonia, sulphur dioxide and certain
chlorinated hydrocarbons. Many scientists believe that the build up of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can cause global climate change
(change in the average global temperature of the atmosphere near the
Earth’s surface). Over time,this condition could pose dangers around
the world such as flooding, drought and disease.

Resource Recovery:

Natural resources used for the first time are considered virgin
resources and their extraction, processing and use require a great deal
of energy and can create pollution. Resource recovery is a practice that
conserves natural resources by extracting material (e.g., paper, glass,
aluminium and steel) from the waste stream and recycling it into other
materials or using it to produce energy. More and more companies are
developing new and innovative technologies that use recycled materials
in the manufacturing of products. Many steel mills, for example, use a
manufacturing process that uses virtually 100 percent recovered steel
as the raw material.

Conclusion:

● Natural resources are essential to civilization as we know it, and

are the basis for economy and survival.
● Resources such as bauxite, iron, and copper form the basis of
everyday items, while water, soil, and salt are required for life.
● It is humanity’s duty to protect and conserve natural resources.
Some things you can do in your everyday life to conserve natural
resources include recycling plastic, paper, and metal, and using
energy more efficiently.
 RENEWABLE RESOURCES
What Is a Renewable Resource?
A renewable resource is a resource that can be replenished
naturally over time. As a result, it is sustainable despite its
consumption by humankind.

Renewable resources are considered especially important for their

potential to replace non-renewable, or finite, resources in the
production of energy. Additionally, renewable resources can offer
cleaner energy solutions than those provided by non-renewable
resources such as coal and fossil fuels.

Examples of renewable resources include the sun, wind, water, the

earth's heat (geothermal), and biomass.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
● The demand for renewable resources is increasing as the
human population continues to grow.
● Energy created by renewable resources is considered virtually
unlimited because of the ability of these resources to
regenerate naturally.
● Renewable energy can lessen the strain on the limited supply
of fossil fuels, which are considered non-renewable
resources.
● Using renewable resources on a large scale is costly and
more research is needed to make them cost-effective.
● Regardless of the renewable nature of some resources,
conservation efforts are important, e.g., where water is
concerned.

Understanding Renewable Resources:

A renewable resource is a resource of which there is an endless
supply because it can be replenished. The sun, the wind, and
geothermal heat are considered inexhaustible and therefore are
examples of renewable resources.

Water is also considered a renewable natural resource, as long as

there is precipitation. Changing climate patterns have shown the
need for conservation efforts to protect water supplies.

Other natural resources are considered renewable even though

some time and effort must go into their renewal. In addition, most
precious metals are considered renewable because they're
reusable. Since they are not destroyed during their extraction and
use, they can be recycled.

Unlike renewable resources, once a non-renewable resource is

depleted, it cannot be recovered. As the human population
continues to grow and finite resources become increasingly
scarce, the demand for renewable resources increases.

Renewable Resources Used for Energy:

Fossil fuels have been used since the late 1880s to produce the
energy we use. Renewable resources such as hydropower and
wood have been used much longer. In fact, they were the two
primary renewable energy resources up to the 1990s.

In the years since, renewable energy production has come

increasingly from biomass, geothermal, solar, water, and wind
resources.

Renewable resources that can replace fossil fuels in the production

of energy are a major focus of nations around the world. The
challenges for successful renewable energy production include
reliability and expense.

A great deal of research is taking place to determine the viability

and best implementation of renewable energy on a mass scale.

Types of Renewable Resources:

❖ Sun
Sunlight is a widely recognized renewable resource. In fact, it's
been used throughout human history to warm shelters, dry and
cook foods, and heat water. Different technologies exist and
continue to be developed to collect and convert solar radiation into
heat energy that can be used for various purposes.

For example solar photovoltaic (PV) devices, or solar cells, change

sunlight into electricity. Depending on the number of solar cells in
use, they can power small appliances or provide the electricity for
many homes

The challenge with using sunlight for our energy needs is that it
can vary and, at times, be unreliable. The availability of sunlight
depends on time of day, existing weather conditions, season of the
year, and geographic location.

❖ Wind
Wind has a direct relationship to the sun. Daily winds result when
the sun's heat is captured unevenly by the varying surfaces on the
earth, including oceans and other water masses. Air above land
heats up faster than air above water during the day when the sun is
shining. That warm air expands and rises. Cooler air takes its place.
This creates wind.
In earlier years, windmills were used across the U.S. to capture
energy and pump water from wells. They still exist in some farming
areas to provide livestock with water.

Today, wind is harnessed to produce electricity. Wind flows over

blades in wind turbines. The blades turn and that drives an electric
generator. In turn, that generates electricity.

Typically, wind turbines don't produce emissions capable of

polluting the air or water. Also, they don't need to be cooled by
water. Though rare, they can have some negative effects on the
environment if they leak lubricating fluids or catch fire. They can
also impact bird life and species.

In 2021, wind turbines provided about 9.2% of total U.S. utility-scale

electricity generation.

❖ Water
Hydropower is the energy produced by water. It was an early
renewable source of energy even before it was used to generate
electricity. For example, hydropower turned paddle wheels on
rivers to mill grain and lumber. Changes in precipitation and lack of
water due to droughts can affect hydropower production.

Hydropower was used to generate electricity in the U.S. beginning

in 1880. Today most of the nation's hydroelectricity is produced in
facilities located at large dams built in the 1970s.

Until 2019, hydropower was the largest source of total annual

renewable electricity generation in the U.S.
In 2021, hydroelectricity accounted for 31.5% of total utility-scale
renewable electricity generation.

❖ Geothermal
Geothermal is a renewable resource that uses the earth's heat to
generate power. Hot springs heated by the earth have been used
for centuries for bathing. Geothermal energy has also been used,
and still is, for district heating systems.

Geothermal energy is used to generate electricity, as well. Power

plants for this purpose are built below ground, within
approximately a mile of the earth's surface.

Geothermal heat pumps are another way to use the earth's heat.
They transfer heat from the ground (or water) into buildings during
the winter and reverse the process in the summer to aid in heating
and cooling.

❖ Biomass
Renewable organic products that produce energy are referred to as
biomass. The process of photosynthesis uses energy from the sun
to convert biomass resources into chemical energy.

In 2021, biomass provided nearly five quadrillion British thermal

units (Btu) and about 5% of total primary energy use in the United
States.

Biomass renewable resources include wood and wood waste,

agricultural crops and waste (which are mainly used for biofuel),
municipal waste including paper, cotton, food, and yard waste, and
animal manure and sewage.
Biofuel refers to liquid fuels and blending components produced
from feedstock biomass materials. Most biofuels are used as
transportation fuels, but they may also be used for heating and
electricity generation. This renewable resource has become more
prevalent in recent years as an alternative to non-renewable
resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas.

In 2021, the U.S. produced about 17.5 billion gallons of biofuels. It

used about 16.8 billion gallons. In addition, the U.S. was a net
exporter of about 0.8 billion gallons of biofuels. The fuel ethanol
accounted for the largest part of those exports.

Although prices are still high for biofuel, some experts project that
as the prices of fossil fuels increase, the price of biofuel will
become more competitive.

What Does Renewable Resource Mean?

The term renewable resource refers to a resource that replenishes
itself naturally over a span of time. This means that it can be used
without worry that it will be depleted permanently. Renewable
resources are of particular interest as sources of renewable energy.

What Is an Example of a Renewable Resource?

The wind is one example. So are the sun and water. Biomass is a
source of renewable energy from plants and animals. It includes
wood, agricultural crops, food waste, and animal manure.

What Is Being Done to Encourage the Use of Renewable

Resources?
Energy taxes place a surcharge on fossil fuels. The hope is that the
prices of energy options produced by renewable resources will
become more attractive and encourage consumer interest. Green
mutual funds support eco-friendly and sustainable companies by
investing in them and helping to promote environmental
awareness.

What Is the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement to reduce carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions and greenhouse gases (GHG) in the
atmosphere. The essential tenet of the Kyoto Protocol is that
industrialised nations needed to lessen the amount of their CO2
emissions. The protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan in 1997,
when greenhouse gases were rapidly threatening our climate, life
on the earth, and the planet itself.
 Non-Renewable Resources

A non-renewable resource is a natural resource that cannot be

readily replaced by natural means at a pace quick enough to keep
up with consumption. An example is carbon-based fossil fuels. The
original organic matter, with the aid of heat and pressure, becomes
a fuel such as oil or gas.

The plants and animals that became fossil fuels lived in a time
called Carboniferous Period, around 300 to 360 million years ago.
The energy in the plant and animal remains originally came from
the sun; through the process of photosynthesis, solar energy is
stored in plant tissues, which animals then consume, adding the
energy to their own bodies. When fossil fuels are burned, this
trapped energy is released.

Significance:
Non-renewable resources, such
as coal and oil, are the primary
source of power in the world, and
they are used to power vehicles,
factories, and homes. Although
affordable, they can be harmful to
the environment and are one of the notable contributors to global
warming.

Categories:
There are four major types of non-renewable resources: oil, natural
gas, coal, and nuclear energy. Oil, natural gas, and coal are
collectively called fossil fuels. Fossil fuels were formed within the
Earth from dead plants and animals over millions of years—hence
the name “fossil” fuels.

Efficiency:
Non-renewable energy sources result in the waste of coal or natural
gas. This requires additional energy and environmental mitigation.
For this reason, the efficiency of usable energy for the least
efficient source of energy — coal — comes in at a meagre 29% of
its original energy value.

Economic Impact:
Non-renewable energy and economic growth. There is mixed
evidence on the relationship between non-renewable energy
consumption and economic growth. Several studies suggest that
fossil fuel energy consumption is key to economic growth, and,
hence, reduction in energy use may have adverse effects on real
GDP growth.

Examples:

1) Earth Minerals and Metal Ores: Earth minerals and metal ores
are examples of non-renewable resources. The metals
themselves are present in vast amounts in Earth's crust, and
their extraction by humans only occurs where they are
concentrated by natural geological processes (such as heat,
pressure, organic activity, weathering and other processes)
enough to become economically viable to extract. These
processes generally take from tens of thousands to millions of
years, through plate tectonics, tectonic subsidence and
crustal recycling.

2) Fossil Fuels: Natural

resources such as coal,
 petroleum (crude oil) and natural gas take thousands of years
to form naturally and cannot be replaced as fast as they are
being consumed. Eventually it is considered that fossil-based
resources will become too costly to harvest and humanity will
need to shift its reliance to other sources of energy such as
solar or wind power, see renewable energy.

3) Nuclear Fuels: In 1987, the World Commission on

Environment and Development (WCED) classified fission
reactors that produce more fissile nuclear fuel than they
consume (i.e. breeder reactors) among conventional
renewable energy sources, such as solar and falling water.
The American Petroleum Institute likewise does not consider
conventional nuclear fission as renewable, but rather that
breeder reactor nuclear power fuel is considered renewable
and sustainable, noting that radioactive waste from used
spent fuel rods remains radioactive and so has to be very
carefully stored for several hundred years. With the careful
monitoring of radioactive waste products also being required
upon the use of other renewable energy sources, such as
geothermal energy.

4) Land Surface: Land surface can be considered both

renewable and non-renewable resource depending on the
scope of comparison. Land can be reused but new land
cannot be created on demand so from an economic
perspective it's a fixed resource with perfectly inelastic
supply.

Special Considerations
Unfortunately, human society is—for the time being—dependent on
nonrenewable resources as its primary source of energy.
Approximately 80 percent of the total amount of energy used
globally each year comes from fossil fuels. We depend on fossil
fuels because they are energy-rich and relatively cheap to process.
But a major problem with fossil fuels, aside from their being in
limited supply, is that burning them releases carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere. Rising levels of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere is the main cause of global warming.

Renewable resources have become a focal point of the

environmental movement, both politically and economically. Energy
obtained from renewable resources puts much less strain on the
limited supply of fossil fuels, which are non-renewable resources.

The problem with using renewable resources on a large scale is

that they are costly and, in most cases, more research is needed to
determine how to use them most cost-effectively.

Beyond their limited supply, energy sources such as fossil fuels

damage the environment when produced and consumed and
contribute to global warming. The first major international accord to
curb carbon dioxide emissions and global warming was the Kyoto
Protocol, signed in 1997. More recently, global powers met in Paris
in 2015 to pledge emissions reductions and focus on higher
reliance on renewable resources for energy.

Incentives for Use

Incentives can encourage the use of alternative energy. For

example, energy taxes place a surcharge on fossil fuels. This can
make prices of renewable resources more competitive and
attractive. As a result, people may be more inclined to use
renewable energy.
Green funds, which are investment vehicles such as mutual funds,
support eco-friendly and sustainable companies by investing in
them. This also helps to promote environmental awareness.

These incentives seem to be having an effect. According to the U.S.

Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2021, renewable energy
provided approximately 12.6 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu).
This represented 12% of total U.S. energy consumption.

The electric power sector consumed around 59% of U.S. renewable

energy in 2021, and approximately 20% of U.S. electricity
generation came from renewable energy sources.

State and federal governments have encouraged more biofuel

consumption with requirements and incentives for the use of
renewable energy. The EIA anticipates that U.S. renewable energy
consumption will continue to increase through 2050.
 How can I switch to renewable energy?

Using renewable energy is one of the best ways to tackle the

problems caused by climate change and support the continued
development of sustainable energy for our homes and businesses
in the future.We need to act now by looking for ways to reduce our
reliance on the fossil fuels that are damaging our planet and switch
to renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and
hydroelectric.

The use of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, to produce electricity
over the past 150 years has filled our atmosphere with gasses that
are trapping in heat and leading to a damaging greenhouse effect.
This is causing increasing temperatures, rising sea levels, and
more extreme weather all over the world.

We all need to make the switch to renewable energy before it’s too
late. Renewable energy sources produce few or no emissions,
bringing improved air quality and huge health benefits to those in
urban areas and around the world. We know that the Earth has a
finite supply of oil and coal experts also estimate that our supply of
fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil) may only last us for another
50-150 years, and as the supply of fossil fuels decreases they will
in turn become more expensive.

Looking ahead, we will also find that as the infrastructure is

developed to generate and transport more renewable energy, it will
become cheaper and because that energy source is unlimited, once
the infrastructure is in place it’ll be extremely cheap to produce.
Hence this financial benefit will be passed on to consumers in the
future. So, the more people that switch to clean energy, the sooner
electricity prices will start to drop.
According to me there are 4 easy ways to shift from fossil fuels to
renewable energy. These are:
1) Eliminate fossil fuels subsidies and put a price on carbon.
2) Step up investment in energy efficiency.
3) Create the conditions for phasing out coal.
4) Improve access to electricity and clean cooking.

1. Eliminate Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Put a Price on Carbon:

Subsidies and other
support to fossil fuel
production and
consumption have
declined recently, but still
amounted to $373 billion
a year in 2015. Subsidy
reform combined with
carbon pricing could generate an estimated $2.8 trillion in annual
government revenues or savings by 2030. Evidence from the 70
national and subnational economies that have put a price on
carbon or are about to show it does not slow economic growth, but
provides a clear and steady signal for business, industry and
consumers to shift course. Even where carbon pricing is not yet in
place, businesses and development finance institutions can
implement shadow carbon prices to steer investments away from
increasingly risky fossil fuel options. These measures will help
reveal the value proposition of renewables and energy-efficiency
and level the playing field for investment.

2. Step Up Investment in Energy Efficiency:

Innovative financing for improved energy efficiency in buildings is
already powering economic growth, but we need to step up and
expand the scope of policies to get investment to flow. Setting
standards for buildings and appliance efficiency, better public
procurement, combined with innovative financing and leveraging
public-private partnerships have demonstrated results across the
world. In India, a government-backed company, Energy Efficiency
Services Limited, pools procurement to grow markets for
high-efficiency lighting and appliances. The arrangement delivers
more than 35 billion kilowatt hours in annual energy savings and
$2.3 billion in cost savings. Energy efficiency investment also
generates up to three times the number of jobs as the same
investment in fossil fuels.

3. Create the Conditions for Phasing Out Coal:

Diversifying economies, particularly those that are fossil fuel-rich,

is not easy. Although renewable energy companies employed 10.3
million people worldwide in 2017 and
are the fastest-growing source of
jobs in several countries today,
there will be transitional impacts at the
regional and community levels.
Even businesses that stand to gain
from a phase-out of coal will benefit
from government-led initiatives
designed to deliver a just transition. As
China has delayed or stopped work on
151 coal power plants, for example, it
has also created a $15 billion fund for retraining, reallocating and
early retirement of the estimated 5-6 million people who would be
laid off due to coal or steel sector overcapacity.

4. Improve Access to Electricity and Clean Cooking:

By 2030, population growth combined with policy and financial
gaps are expected to leave nearly 700 million people without power,
and more than 2 billion without clean cooking. The potential for
universal clean energy access to deliver economic and human
health benefits is huge. Solar breakthroughs combined with
high-efficiency lighting and appliances are lowering costs of
household electricity, while innovative consumer finance is
improving affordability and expanding markets for decentralised
solutions. According to the IEA, universal access to clean cooking
alone could avoid 1.8 million premature deaths annually by 2030,
free up billions of hours spent cooking or collecting fuelwood, and
improve livelihoods for hundreds of millions of women.

The Bottom Line

Renewable resources include the sun, the wind, water, the earth's
heat (geothermal), and biomass.

Renewable resources are natural resources that replenish

themselves over time or exist on a continual basis. In recent years,
they've been of special interest for the vital role they can play in
replacing non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels in the
production of energy. They're also seen as having less of a
negative impact on the environment.

Of course, renewable resources were used for thousands of years

before non-renewable resources such as coal and oil began to be
used extensively in the late 19th century.

Due to the finite nature of coal and oil, plus the threat from climate
change, the world community is focusing on the greater use of
renewable resources to meet energy needs.