1. Earth’s Natural Resources
A natural resource is any materials and components (biodiversity and geodiversity) found in the environment that are essential to our sustainability or satisfy our needs

2. I. Classification- a variety of methods are used to classify Earth’s natural resources: source of origin, stage of development and their renewability.

3. A. Source of Origin 1. Biotic
a. Obtained from living and organic material
b. Examples: vegetation, animals and fossil fuels (decayed organic material)
2. Abiotic
a. Obtained from non-living and non-organic material
b. Examples: water, air, minerals, and sunlight

4. B. Stage of Development 1. Potential Resources
a. Exist in an area that may be used in the future
b. Examples: petroleum
2. Actual Resources
a. Surveyed, their quality and quantity determined and are being used today
b. Examples: wood processing

5. B. Stage of Development 3. Reserve Resources
a. Part of actual resources which are profitably developed for use in the future
b. Example: minerals
4. Stock Resources
a. Part of actual resources which cannot be used due to lack of technology
b. Example: hydrogen and oxygen from water

6. C. Renewability 1. Non-renewable
a. Cannot be regenerated at a scale comparable to its consumption
b. Examples: minerals and certain energy (fossil fuels)
2. Renewable
a. Can be replenished over a relatively short amount of time
b. Examples: water, sunlight, animals, trees and certain energy (geothermal, wind, solar, hydroelectric)

7. Nuclear Energy?
Though it is considered a clean energy, inclusion into a renewable resource is debatable.

8. II. Energy Resources and Renewability- for our discussion in this activity, we are going to discuss energy resources and will be using the renewability classification scheme

9. A. Non-renewable Resources
1. Resources taking millions of years to form and accumulate
2. Finite supply (no more when we run out)
3. Examples:

10. a. Petroleum
1- derived from plants and animals that were buried in ancient seas
2- ocean-floor sediments protected organic remains from oxidation and decay
3- commonly collect in anticlines and salt domes

12. b. Natural Gas
1- derived from plants and animals that were buried in ancient seas
2- ocean-floor sediments protected organic remains from oxidation and decay
3- commonly collect in anticlines

16. c. Coal
1- derived from plant material that underwent heat and pressure over millions of years
2-developed in four stages
3- most coal field were developed during the Carboniferous Period ( million years ago)

18. d. Nuclear
1- created through specific nuclear reactions (fission)

20. B. Renewable Resources
1. Resource that can be replenished over a fairly short time period (months, years, decades)
2. Infinite supply
3. Examples:

21. a. Geothermal 1- energy derived from the earth’s interior
2- high heat is developed by the slow decay of radioactive particles

23. b. Wind
1- energy from wind using wind turbines

25. c. Solar
1- energy from the sun, using collector panels

27. d. Hydroelectric
1- energy from dams and the flow of water

29. e. Biomass 1- also known as biofuels
2- energy contained inside of plants and animals that can include: wood chips, rotted trees, manure, sewage, and mulch.