Non-Renewable Resources Environment Matters Renewable & Non-Renewable Resources

Renewable & Non-Renewable Resources If video does not work try the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2a4i2pDUCg&feature=related Energy exists freely in nature. Environment Matters Sources can be renewable or non-renewable. Some of them exist infinitely (never run out, called RENEWABLE), the rest have finite amounts (they took millions of years to form, and will run out one day, called NON-RENEWABLE). Renewable & Non-Renewable Resources

Renewable Resources Renewable resources are natural resources, which are able to quickly replenish themselves and can be used again and again. These include: ● Solar ● Geothermal ● Wind ● Biomass ● Water Water, wind, sun and biomass (vegetation) are all available naturally and were not formed. Renewable energy can be converted to electricity, which is stored and transported to our homes for use. What are some examples where you have seen renewable resources being used today?

Examples of how Renewable Energy is used Solar Energy Solar energy is the sun's rays reaching the earth. This energy can be turned into heat and electricity. Advantages Energy from the sun is free. The sun’s energy is clean, meaning it causes no pollution. Disadvantages The amount of sunlight that arrives on the Earth varies depending on location, time of day, time of year, and weather conditions. Because the sun doesn’t deliver that much energy to any one place at one time, a large surface area is required to collect energy at a useful rate. ( How many ways can you think of that the sun's energy is used directly today?

Wind Energy Examples of how Renewable Energy is used Wind is simply air in motion. The moving air (wind) has huge amounts of kinetic energy, and this can be transferred into electrical energy using wind turbines. Wind turbines are usually sited on high hills and mountain ridges to take advantage of the prevailing winds. Disadvantages Advantages The strength of the wind is not constant, so wind turbines do not produce the same amount of electricity all the time. Wind turbines are noisy Some people don’t like how they look. Wind energy is free Does not cause green house gases or other pollutants. Although wind turbines are very tall, each takes up only a small plot of land.

Non-Renewable Energy Non-renewable resources are limited because they are an energy resource that is not replaced or is replaced only very slowly by natural processes. For example: oil will eventually run out one day! But not all are! e.g. Uranium Most non-renewable resources are fossil fuels. Some examples are: Oil Coal Copper Diamonds Natural gas Iron Ore Minerals Gold Silver platinum These won’t exist anymore once we have used them all up!

How are Fossil Fuels Formed? Fossil fuels are formed from buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. …but the rate of their production is extremely slow, much slower than the rate at which we use them.

Examples of how they produce Energy Petroleum Oil, or petroleum, is used to create fuels, such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. It is also used in the manufacturing of plastics and industrial chemicals. The environmental impacts of mining oil include threats to waterways, plants and wildlife due to oil spills and increased infrastructure in natural areas. The impacts of oil combustion include air pollution, smog and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear Energy Nuclear power requires uranium. It does not create air pollution like fossil fuels. It produces radioactive waste, which must be disposed of and which can cause problems for humans and ecosystems for thousands of years. Accidents and leaks from nuclear power plants can have catastrophic effects on the entire planet.

Advantages & Disadvantages Why should we keep using non-renewable sources? Easy access Cheaper. Makes a lot more energy efficiently Why should we stop or reduce our usage of non-renewable sources? Except for Nuclear power, all of them are contributing green house gases, which cause global warming. Mining for resources can damage and destroy the land - leaves land barren, can result in the sinking or collapse of land, pollutes water sources, pollutes the air, affects the health of miners, etc. Once we completely use nonrenewable resources, we won't have them anymore What do you think will happen when these non-renewable resources will eventually run out?

Renewable Energy Non-Renewable Energy Summary of Pros & Cons Pros Cons Quantity is limitless, it will never run out Difficult to set up The energy is free to use Expensive to set up Environment friendly Not always efficient because need large amounts which is not always available. Pros Cons Cheap to use Will run out some day Easy to use Causing serious environmental changes Efficient – only require a small amount to produce a large amount of power Releases toxic gases which are contributing to global warming Prices will rise in the future as supplies run out

Class Quiz & Discussion What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources? What were some examples of renewable resources? What were some examples of non-renewable resources? What are some ways we can start using more renewable energy resources now? So we need to find more renewable, sustainable ways of generating energy. It is important because we need to take better care of Earth’s creations as well as survival in the future. If video doesn’t work, go to the following link to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjCcmSdraRI