Renewable and Non-renewable Resources

4.2 Renewable and Nonrenewable
Resources (8.4.2) 

Engage in argument supported by evidence about the effect of per-capita consumption of natural resources on Earth's systems. Emphasize that these
resources are limited and may be non-renewable. Examples of evidence include rates of consumption of food and natural resources such as freshwater, minerals, and energy sources. 

Natural Resources
A natural resource is something supplied by nature that helps support life. When you think of natural resources, you may think of minerals and fossil fuels and you would be right. However, ecosystems and the services they provide are also natural resources that people often don’t think of. Natural resources are generally classified as either renewable or nonrenewable. Renewable resources have an unlimited supply and nonrenewable have a limited
supply. Will this planet eventually run out of oil? Almost certainly, but scientists disagree on when the supplies will run out.. . There is a limited supply of oil on our planet and because the rate of usage far exceeds the rate at which the supply can be replenished, fossil fuels is classified as a nonrenewable resource. Wind and water are considered renewable resources because you can’t ever run out of them.

Renewable Resources
Renewable resources can be replenished by natural processes about as quickly as humans use them. Sunlight and wind are renewable resources because they cannot be used up. The rising and falling of ocean tides is another example of a resource in unlimited supply. Metals and other minerals are renewable too. They are not destroyed when they are used and can be recycled. In a dry state like Utah, water is always a concern. It is a renewable resource because it is always being replenished through the water cycle but because we have a limited supply each year we have to be careful with how much we use. 

Can we use up all of our sunlight?
No, we have a limitless supply of sunlight. That makes it a renewable resource. Living organisms are considered to be renewable. This is because they can reproduce to replace themselves. However, they can be overused or misused to the point of extinction. To be truly renewable, they must be used in a way that meets the needs of the present and also preserves the resources for future generations. The food we grow on farms and in gardens is renewable. Every year we can plant new crops to replace those we use. Individual trees renewable because once they are cut down they can be replanted and grow again within a few decades. Entire forests however are considered nonrenewable because when they are cut down an entire ecosystem is affected, not just the trees. 

The following are examples of renewable energy resources:
● Solar power. Panels use solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity.

When the sun shines onto a solar panel, energy from the sunlight is absorbed by the PV cells in the panel. This energy creates electrical charges that move in response to an internal electrical field in the cell, causing electricity to flow.

● Wind power. Windmills transform wind energy into electricity. Currently, wind is used for less than 1% of the world’s energy needs but wind energy is
growing fast. Every year 30% more wind energy is used to create electricity. 

Wind is a renewable resource.

Wind turbines like this one harness just a tiny fraction of wind energy.

● Hydropower. The energy of moving water is used to turn turbines (similar to windmills) or water wheels that generate electricity. This form of energy
produces no waste or pollution however it can cause destruction of habitat if dams are created for this purpose. 

● Geothermal power. The natural flow of heat from the Earth’s core is used to produce steam. This steam turns turbines which generate electricity.
● Biomass. Biomass production involves using organic matter ("biomass") from plants to produce energy. Using corn to make ethanol fuel is an example of biomass generated energy.
● Tides. Waves in the ocean can also turn a turbine to generate electricity. This energy can then be stored until needed.

EVEN RENEWABLE RESOURCES HAVE PROBLEMS WE NEED TO SOLVE:

No solution is perfect, and there is still a need for innovation.

• Wind Turbines kill birds and bats- they are made with iron ore, and it requires a lot of cement and large fossil fuel burning trucks to transport and construct a wind turbine. 
• Solar panels only generate when the sun is shining. The silicon they are made with has to be processed in large blast furnaces, powered by fossil fuels. Solar panels have a 35 to 30 year life span and then must be disposed of, but they are hazardous waste, with toxic metals like gallium, cadmium, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, lithium,  imbedded in the silicon.  300 times more toxic waste than a nuclear power plant over a 25 year period. ¹
• Hydroelectric Dams- reduce river flow, increase water temperature, degrade water quality and cause sediment to build up. They obstruct fish migration. Building a dam takes a lot of fossil fuels, energy, cement production. ²
• Wave power- only coastal cities can benefit, they disturb the sea floor and the creatures there, change shipping lanes, can't withstand very rough weather, high cost of production and as yet unknown lifespan.³ 
• Geothermal energy- It is only available in certain areas where geothermal vents can be accessed. The initial set up is expensive and it needs an outside source of electricity to assist it to run.  Hydraulic fracking for large scale plants can cause land instability and earthquakes, and there are some harmful discharges in the steam, including sulfur dioxide and silica. A thermal vent can run out of steam.⁴ 
• Biomass- can be used to simply burn, heat steam, and create electricity or it can be used to make a fossil fuel alternative.  It does have CO2 emissions.  The growth, harvest and storing of crops for this use fuel, and using wood can lead to more deforestation. ⁵

1. https://interestingengineering.com/renewable-energy-paradox-solar-panels-and-their-toxic-waste

2. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydropower/hydropower-and-the-environment.php

3. https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages_disadvantages_waveenergy.php

4. https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/pros-and-cons-of-geothermal-energy.php

5. https://www.greensquare.co.uk/blog/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-biomass-energy

Nonrenewable Resources
Nonrenewable resources are natural resources that exist in fixed amounts and can be used up. Examples include fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas. These fuels formed from the remains of plants over hundreds of millions of years. We are using them up far faster than they could ever be replaced. At current rates of use, petroleum will be used up in 50 or so years and coal in less than 300 years. Nuclear power is also considered to be a nonrenewable
resource because it uses up uranium, ( about 90 years worth)  which will sooner or later run out. It also produces harmful wastes that are difficult to dispose of safely.  However, Breeder Reactors could fuel humanity for 4 billion years. They are much more expensive to build. 

Could we all run out of gasoline?
Yes, we will use up all our gasoline eventually. Gasoline is produced from oil. Oil deposits were formed over hundreds of millions of years. They cannot be quickly
replenished. Oil is an example of a nonrenewable resource.

Coal and nuclear are considered non-renewable resources. 

Society’s Use of Resources
Many times when we discuss resources, power is a main concern. As a society we have become very dependent on power for transportation, hospitals, heating and cooling our homes, light, entertainment, and preserving our food. Population growth, especially in developing countries, should make people think about how fast natural resources are being consumed. Governments around the world should seriously consider these issues. Developing nations will also increase demands on natural resources as they build more factories. Improvements in technology, use of renewable energy sources and conservation of resources could all help to decrease the demand on nonrenewable resources. Analyze the graphs and charts to determine the effect of per capita consumption of natural resources on Earth’s systems