We explain what renewable and non-renewable resources are, their differences, characteristics, uses and examples.
Renewable resources are capable of regenerating themselves quickly.
What are renewable and non-renewable resources?
Renewable resources and non-renewable resources are natural resources used by humans for the production of energy, goods or services and are differentiated from each other by their power of regeneration.
- Non-renewable resources. These are those that once they have been used for consumption, their renewal cannot be achieved or requires thousands or millions of years.
For example: oil. - Renewable resourcesThese are resources that are worn out by consumption, but are quickly regenerated naturally or by human action. In addition, these resources are characterized by being sustainable.
For example: fresh water or wood.
Characteristics of renewable resources
Renewable energy requires very expensive infrastructure.
Among the main characteristics of renewable resources, the following stand out:
- They are consumed at a rate similar to the time it takes for their regeneration. However, if these resources are not used in moderation, the environmental balance can be affected.
- They require a specific infrastructure for their extraction or use, which entails a high economic investment.
- They depend directly on environmental factors such as wind or sunlight, so in many cases they are unpredictable.
- They do not generate a significant negative impact on the environment.
- They are used almost exclusively for energy generation, such as water or wind energy, and for the construction of goods, such as wood.
- Most of them cannot be stored.
- They can be obtained in multiple geographical locations around the planet.
Characteristics of non-renewable resources
Among the main characteristics of non-renewable resources, the following stand out:
- They exist in nature in a limited way and this quantity is depleted after consumption without being able to be recovered in a short period of time.
- They are consumed faster than they can be regenerated.
- They can be removed and stored.
- Their extraction is usually expensive, but in many places there is the infrastructure and supplies for exploitation because they are resources that have been used since ancient times.
- They pose a high risk of environmental contamination during extraction or transport, for example, when an oil spill occurs in the ocean, contaminating the waters and affecting marine fauna and flora species.
- They are often used for energy, like gas, coal or oil, and are widely used in transportation.
- They are found in specific geographic locations.
- They allow obtaining a large amount of energy at a relatively low cost.
Types of natural resources
Fossil fuels are extracted from the interior of the Earth.
Natural resources can be of two types:
Nonrenewable resources
Non-renewable natural resources are subdivided into:
- Fossil fuels. They are those natural resources that are the product of thousands of years of fossilization. They are easy and economical to extract, however, when burned they emit toxic gases. For example: gas and coal.
- Nuclear energy. They are those highly polluting and destructive resources that are obtained from the manipulation of atomic nuclei. It is a type of limited energy and is what is used to manufacture atomic bombs.
Renewable resources
Renewable natural resources are subdivided into
- Renewable resources proper. They are those that can regenerate quickly, but are not unlimited. For example: wood and fresh water.
- Inexhaustible resources. These are those that exist in an unlimited way in nature and are not used up despite use. For example: wind or water currents.
Uses of resources
Many renewable resources, such as wood, leather and paper, are used in the production of goodswhile others, such as wind or water currents, are used for energy production.
For its part, most non-renewable resources are used in the Energy productionsuch is the case of oil or coal.
Although for a long time energy production was carried out almost exclusively through non-renewable resources (especially in areas such as transportation), in recent times Renewable energies proved to be a more sustainable modelbecause they do not pollute and use energy sources that, in most cases, are inexhaustible.
In order to obtain renewable resources from nature, specific infrastructure and technology are often needed, which in many cases makes the production process more expensive, which is why this type of energy is booming but is not yet widely used. Some of the most widely used renewable energies are:
- Geothermal energy. It is obtained from the use of heat from the Earth’s interior.
- Wind power. It is obtained from the use of energy that comes from wind and air masses.
- Hydraulic energyIt is obtained by harnessing the energy produced by currents and the movement of water.
- Solar energyIt is obtained from the use of solar radiation.
Examples of renewable and non-renewable resources
There is a high risk of environmental pollution in non-renewable resources.
Renewable resources
- Wood
- Water (hydropower)
- Sun (solar energy)
- Seas and oceans (marine energy)
- Wind (wind energy)
- Heat (geothermal energy)
- Biomass (organic matter)
Nonrenewable resources
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