Renewable energy resources Vs Non Renewable energy resources
The concept of renewable energy resources versus non-renewable energy resources provides the basis for sustainability. Renewable energy resources are replenished by natural processes over time and we can use them again and again over an infinite span of time like solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy etc.
On the other hand non-renewable energy resources like oil or minerals are formed over millions of years under the earth's crust. Earth can replenish non-renewable resources, but this takes place over millions of years in which organic matter is transformed into fossil fuels.
How Renewable energy resources replenish themselves?
Resources | How these resources are replenished |
Air | Plant and Animal respiration |
Forests | Reproduction and Germination |
Solar Radiations | Activity at the Sun’s Core |
Water | Rain, Biological reactions including respiration |
Wind | Climate, Tides, and weather conditions |
Animals | Reproduction |
Geothermal | Activity of tectonic plates under earth’s crust |
Soil | Earth’s sediment cycle |
Microbes (Biomass) | Reproduction |
How Non-Renewable energy resources become depleted?
Resources | How these resources become depleted |
| Coal | Mining for energy production by burning |
| Oil | Extraction for using as fuel to generate energy |
| Natural Gas | Extraction for energy production by burning |
| Metals | Mining for industrial use |
| Minerals | Mining and other extraction methods for industrial use and other commercial uses |
| Uranium | Nuclear energy production |
| Petroleum | Extraction for energy production by combustion and industrial uses |
The world’s total consumption of renewable and non-renewable natural energy resources can be expressed by a term called the ecological footprint. The ecological footprint is equal to the amount of land and water needed to sustain life on earth and absorb wastes. Since the mid-1980s, the world’s population has exceeded its ecological footprint. In other words, people are consuming resources faster than the Earth can replenish them.
I hope the above article is able to distinguish various facts of differences between renewable and non renewable energy resources. If you are missing some information or just like to add some more information, please comment below this article and help us to make this article optimized for the readers.
Updates On Renewable Vs Non-Renewable Energy Resources:
Solar power remains the highly promising renewable energy source in the field of carbon free technology. It has been declared by the scientists and solar power developers that within six to seven years, cost of electricity production from solar energy will cost no more than that from fossil fuels.
Labels: Energy Resources