Natural Resources

Natural resource Natural resources provide materials and

energy. A natural resource is any energy sources, organism, or substance found in nature that people use.

There are two categories of resources: Renewable and Nonrenewable resources

Renewable resource A renewable resource is

a natural resource that can be used and replaced over a relatively short time.

Types of Renewable Resources Nuclear energy is an alternative source of

energy from the nuclei of atoms. Fission and Fusion are types of nuclear

energy. (Fission-splits atoms & Fusion-joins atoms)

Sunlight (Solar Energy) is energy from the Sun. Everyday, the Earth receives more than enough solar energy to meet all our energy needs.

Wind (Wind turbines)- are technological updates of the old windmills and generate significant amounts of electricity. Wind is created by the uneven heating of air by the Sun.

Water (Hydroelectric energy) is electricity produced by falling water.

Trees and other plants, animal waste (Biomass) is organic matter that contains stored energy. The most common way of releasing the energy is burning the biomass.

Earth (Geothermal) energy is energy from within the Earth. Buildings in Iceland are heated by this energy in their country’s many geothermal sites.

Nonrenewable resource A nonrenewable resources made from

once-living plants and animals that were buried in Earth’s crust for millions of years. Fossil fuels supply most of society’s nonrenewable energy.

Types of Nonrenewable Resources A fossil fuel, such as coal, oil, or natural gas

are all a nonrenewable resources. Fossil fuels burn easily and give off a lot of heat. However, there are disadvantage to their use. In addition to being nonrenewable, fossil fuels produce pollution when they are burned and can harm the environment in other ways, such as through oil spills.

Examples of nonrenewable resources are: Coal (ancient plant from a swamp) Oil (flammable organic compound) natural gas (can be separated by humans) uranium ("burned" in nuclear power

reactors) minerals and rocks (naturally made

material)

petroleum

Coal

Methane

Results of Nonrenewable Resources

Acid precipitation is rain or snow that has high acid content due to air pollutants. Acid precipitation negatively affects wildlife, plants, buildings and statues.

Smog is a photochemical fog produced by the reaction of sunlight and air pollutants. Los Angeles and Denver have serious smog issues because of the abundance of sunshine and cars surrounded by mountains.

Los Angeles

Denver

Way to Conserve Recycling is the process by

which used or discarded materials are treated for reuse.

Reduce is to make something smaller or use less, resulting in a smaller amount of waste.

Reuse material in their original form instead of throwing them away, or pass those materials on to others who could use them too!