Natural resources that cannot be renewed or renewable are energy that will eventually run out. Most non-renewable energy sources are fossil fuels, such as coal, gas and oil.
These natural resources are the main source of power for a large number of industries – however, there are many downsides to non-renewable energy, including the negative impact on the environment and the fact that supply is limited. The following is the definition of non-renewable natural resources and some examples.
Types of Non -Renewable Natural Resources
There are two broad categories of non-renewable resources, namely fossil fuels and nuclear energy (from uranium ore).
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Fossil fuels
Fossil fuels are formed due to the continuous heating and compression of organic matter buried beneath the earth’s surface. Organic matter consists of the remains of plants and animals that have decomposed, heated, and compressed over millions of years to form fossil deposits.
Sediments are extracted through drilling or mining, and can be in liquid, gas, or solid form. Fossil fuels are highly flammable, making them a rich source of energy.
Examples of fossil fuels include:
- Crude oil
Crude oil, also called petroleum, is the only non-renewable resource that is extracted in liquid form. Petroleum is found between layers of the earth’s crust, or between rocks, and is extracted by drilling wells l into the soil and seabed.
Crude oil is then pumped to the surface, taken through refining, and then used to make different products. Petroleum is used to produce gasoline and diesel to power motor vehicles and to produce plastics, heating oil, propane, and jet fuel, as well as artificial food flavours.
- Natural gas
Natural gas is a non -renewable resource gas found beneath the earth’s crust but near crude oil deposits below the surface. Natural gas is basically composed of methane, but may also contain other forms of natural gas such as propane, ethane, and butane.
Methane is odorless, and is mixed with special additives to give it an odor for easy detection of gas leaks. After the natural gas is extracted, the methane is sent to a processing plant to remove propane and butane, which are used as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Natural gas is used to heat homes, as well as for cooking in gas ovens, stoves, and grills.
- Coal
Coal is made from compressed organic matter, and contains carbon and hydrocarbon materials. Coal is formed from swamps filled with vegetation and has been covered in sediment for millions of years. Coal is extracted by excavating the soil and removing coal solids for processing into energy.
The main types of coal are anthracite, lignite, bituminous coal, and sub-bituminous coal. Bitumen has a high heat content and is used to generate energy in the manufacture of steel and iron.
Anthracite contains 86% to 97% carbon, and has the highest heating value. This coal is much harder to find than other types of coal and is used in the metal industry.
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Nuclear energy (Uranium)
In addition to fossil fuels, another category of non-renewable resources is nuclear fuel. Nuclear is obtained through mining and refining uranium ore, a radioactive element that occurs naturally beneath the earth’s surface.
Uranium is found in small quantities, and miners often collect uranium deposits for refining and refining. The minerals generate power through a process known as nuclear fusion and create the pressure to run turbines and then generate nuclear power.
Non-renewable resources are formed from organic material left over from plants and animals that existed millions of years ago. Now, since matter took millions of years to form, this energy also took millions of years to recharge.
Although affordable, this resource can be harmful to the environment and is one of the main factors of global warming.