NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES

Non – renewable resources

• A natural resource that is available only in limited amounts

• Cannot be replaced quickly by natural processes

• Examples: topsoil, fossil fuels for energy

Approximate world usage of fossil fuels

Non-renewable resources: Mining

• What is mining?– Mining is a non-

renewable resource– Minerals like diamonds,

aluminum, copper are taken out of the Earth

• How do mining projects affect the environment and ecosystems?

• Video clip: mining emeralds in Colombia

Strip mining for coal

Fossil Fuels• Most common

non-renewable resource and is used for energy

• Found in 3 forms:– Coal– Oil (gasoline, fuel for planes, trucks, heating)– Natural gas

• Formed when organisms die and are buried in layers of rock/soil– Under intense heat and pressure

Why do you think fossil fuels are non-renewable?

Fossil fuels: Environmental Impact• Burning fossil fuels releases chemicals and substances that

contaminate the air and water• A common product made from fossil fuels (oils) is plastic• While we continue to use fossil fuels, how can we try and

reduce our environmental impact?• 3Rs!: Reduce, reuse and recycle

NUCLEAR ENERGY• Huge amounts of energy are stored in the

nucleus of an atom• When this nucleus is split, the energy released

is used to generate electricity– water is heated by this energy and turns to steam,

which turns turbines to produce electricity

Example: - uranium (U)

NUCLEAR ENERGY

What are they worth ($$$) ?

• We use fossil fuels to ‘power’ most objects in our lives:– Cars, factories, electricity for houses

• Finding new sources of fossil fuels or rare metals can be very lucrative– Can make a large profit/ a lot of money

• However, there are only a limited amount of these fossil fuel and rare metal reserves on the planet