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Coal, produced over millions of years, is a finite and non-renewable resource on a human time scale. A non-renewable resource (also called a finite resource) is a natural resource that cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a pace quick enough to keep up with consumption. [1] An example is carbon-based fossil fuels.
Oceans often act as renewable resources. Sawmill near Fügen, Zillertal, Austria Global vegetation. A renewable resource (also known as a flow resource [note 1] [1]) is a natural resource which will replenish to replace the portion depleted by usage and consumption, either through natural reproduction or other recurring processes in a finite amount of time in a human time scale.
The most common fuel used in conventional nuclear fission power stations, uranium-235 is "non-renewable" according to the Energy Information Administration, the organization however is silent on the recycled MOX fuel. [223] The National Renewable Energy Laboratory does not mention nuclear power in its "energy basics" definition. [224]
An example of a non-renewable natural resource. Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value.
Non-renewable resources are formed over very long geological periods. Minerals and fossils are included in this category. Since their formation rate is extremely slow, they cannot be replenished, once they are depleted. Even though metals can be recycled and reused, whereas petroleum and gas cannot, they are still considered non-renewable ...
Renewable resources are available each year, unlike non-renewable resources, which are eventually depleted. A simple comparison is a coal mine and a forest. While the forest could be depleted, if it is managed it represents a continuous supply of energy, vs. the coal mine, which once has been exhausted is gone.
The environmental dimension of sustainability includes greenhouse gas emissions, impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems, hazardous waste and toxic emissions, [7] water consumption, [9] and depletion of non-renewable resources. [6] Energy sources with low environmental impact are sometimes called green energy or clean energy. The economic ...
Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that comes from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. [1] Renewable energy replaces conventional fuels in four distinct areas: electricity generation , air and water heating/cooling, motor fuels , and rural ...