NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES
Dec 25, 2015
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