World Resources Section One Resources and Land Use World Resources Section One

Natural Resources Materials used in the natural environment that people value and use to satisfy their needs.

Renewable Resources Natural resources that are constantly being regenerated, or replaced by the environment. Examples are; Soil, water, and sun. Natural growth takes time and human activity can interfere with the process of renewal.

Nonrenewable Resources These resources cannot be replaced once they have been used. Examples are: minerals, especially fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gas, iron, copper, aluminum, uranium, and gold. Recycling is a way to increase nonrenewable resource supplies.

Energy Sources The main energy source today is nonrenewable fossil fuels. Nations are searching for new sources of energy and competing for those that already exist.

Depending on Fossil Fuels Nearly all modern industrialized countries, including the United States, depend heavily on fossil fuels. Most nations have to import these fossil fuels because they don’t have a sufficient supply to meet their own needs. Oil and natural gas reserves are unevenly spread around the world. Over half the world’s oil supplies are in southwestern Asia (the Middle East). The world’s oil reserves are estimated to run out in 100 years or so. Coal is more evenly distributed and the United States, China and Russia have rich deposits. These reserves are expected to last 200 years. Burning coal has drawbacks as it creates air pollution and acid rain.

Nuclear Energy Produced by fission (splitting of uranium atoms in a nuclear reactor to release their stored energy). Many countries supply part of their energy through electricity that is created by nuclear power. There are many concerns surrounding the use of nuclear power: Radiation leaks Explosions Disposal of radioactive waste Use of uranium, a non-renewable resource

Other Energy Sources These are alternatives to the use of fossil fuels in limited use in the world today: Water power- the use of falling water to move machinery or generate electricity. Dams are used to harness this energy. Water is a renewable resource. Geothermal energy- energy that comes from the earth’s internal heat. Magma heats underground water which produces steam. This can be used to heat homes or make electricity. Iceland, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand all make use of this form of energy. Solar Energy- energy produced by the sun. This energy has been used to heat homes and water for many years. This is potentially the greatest source of renewable energy.