Earth’s Natural Resources

Natural Resources - actual or potential form of wealth supplied by nature. Examples: Metals Arable land Fossil fuels Old-growth forests Coal Oil Water Sun Air Crops

Renewable Resources - energy sources that can be recycled or replaced by natural processes in less than 100 years Advantages: Stays for a long time They are constant Disadvantages: Expensive Can harm wildlife Not reliable Some put off carbon dioxide (biomass) Examples: Sun Wind Water (groundwater) Geothermal energy Forests (trees)

Nonrenewable Resources - resources that cannot be replaced by natural processes in more than 100 years Disadvantages: Will eventually run out Acid rain Air pollution Water pollution Advantages: We need it to make gasoline Examples: Fossil fuels Natural gas Nuclear energy

Fossil Fuels - an energy resource formed from the decayed remains of ancient plants and other organisms Disadvantages: Pollutes the atmosphere Possibly causing climate change NONRENEWABLE Advantages: A chemical energy is changed into heat and light Easy to find Produce large amounts of energy Examples: Coal Oil Natural gas

Coal - formed from the remains of ancient swamp vegetation that turned into a soft, brown/black material Advantages: Changes a chemical to heat and light Creates energy/electricity Easy to burn Disadvantages: Pollutes the atmosphere Mining it can scar landscape NONRENEWABLE Examples: Lignite Bituminous Anthracite

Oil and Natural Gases - formed over millions of years from the decay of algae and other microscopic ocean organisms called plankton Advantages: Changes into heat and light Power vehicles Power stoves, ovens, fireplaces Disadvantages: Develops over long periods of time Air/Water pollution NONRENEWABLE Examples: Lamp oil Gasoline Diesel fuel Crude oil

Solar Energy - energy from the sun Advantages: Does not cause hazardous/toxic pollution RENEWABLE Examples: Solar panels Flat mirrors Disadvantages: We do not have the technology to harness all of its energy Expensive to cover large areas with solar panels Noise pollution

Wind Energy - energy produced by wind Advantages: Nonpolluting (air, land) Not harmful to the environment Does not produce waste RENEWABLE Examples: Windmills wind farms Disadvantages: Few regions have winds strong enough to generate electricity on a large scale Noise pollution

Hydroelectric Power - production of electricity using water Advantages: Does not cause pollution and it is RENEWABLE Examples: Niagara Falls Water falls Dams Disadvantages: Reservoirs behind the dam can fill up with sediment Increased erosion

Geothermal Energy - heat from the magma and hot rock that surrounds it that can be used to generate electricity Advantages: Does not cause pollution Does not use fuel Efficient RENEWABLE Examples: Geysers Hot springs Disadvantages: Sometimes not found, close to Earth’s surface Can release hot, salty water at Earth’s surface

Nuclear Energy - energy produced by splitting the nuclei of certain elements in a process known as fission (releasing the energy by changing water to steam) Advantages: Powerful and efficient Reduces fossil fuels used (lessens cost and lessens greenhouse gas emissions) Examples: Power plants fueled by uranium Nuclear weapons Disadvantages: Storing nuclear waste makes its use limited Radioactive wastes take a long time to break down Nuclear accidents

Groundwater - water that soaks into the ground and collects in small spaces between bits of soil and rock Advantages: Part of water cycle Free to harvest RENEWABLE Example: Used in industries and on farms Disadvantages: It takes a long time for it to move through rock layers Much to be done to keep water safe Huge effort to harvest

Forests - a thick growth of trees and underbrush covering an extensive tract of land Advantages: Takes in carbon and stores it Purifies the air Ingredients for medicines Balances the climate Regulates the water cycle RENEWABLE Examples: Yellowstone Yosemite Amazon Disadvantages: No forests = more carbon in the atmosphere Might cause global warming)

Mineral Resources - metal objects that come from rocks Example: hematite makes motorcycle parts and saw blades Diamonds Gold Salt Copper Iron, etc. Advantages: Sometimes large deposits of valuable minerals are found in one place Can be mined for profit RENEWABLE Disadvantages: Costs a lot to get the minerals out of the rocks Air/Water pollution

Abiotic Factors - any nonliving part of the environment Examples: Air current Temperature Moisture (water) Light Soil

Biotic Factors - any living or once living organism in the environment Examples: Animals Plants Insects Humans

The End!!!