Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| renewable/rɪˈnjuːəbl/ | Describing a resource that can be replenished naturally on a timescale relevant to its use. |
| fossil fuels/ˈfɒsl ˈfjuːəlz/ | Coal, oil and natural gas formed from ancient organic matter over millions of years. |
| nonrenewable/ˌnɒnrɪˈnjuːəbl/ | Not naturally replaced fast enough to keep pace with human use. |
Where energy comes from
- Everything we do uses energy — light, heat, transport, factories.
- That energy comes from natural resources.
- Some of those resources refill; some run out.
- This is the first big split in studying energy.
Renewable resources
- A renewable 可再生 resource is refilled by nature as fast as we use it.
- Sunlight arrives every day, wind keeps blowing, rivers keep flowing.
- We can use them forever without running out.
- Solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass are all renewable.
Wind turbines: renewable sources replenish on human timescales; fossil fuels 化石燃料 do not
A renewable resource is one that…
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A renewable resource is refilled by nature on a human timescale — sunlight, wind, and flowing water keep coming.
Nonrenewable resources
- A nonrenewable 不可再生 resource exists in a fixed amount and runs out.
- Coal, oil, and natural gas are fossil fuels — buried ancient life.
- They took millions of years to form, so we cannot make more.
- Nuclear fuel (uranium) is also nonrenewable — the ore is limited.
Renewable or nonrenewable?
Sort each energy source by whether nature refills it or it runs out.
Which is a nonrenewable resource?
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Coal took millions of years to form, so once burned it is gone. Wind, sun, and water are renewable.
Coal, oil, and natural gas are the three ____ fuels.
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Fossil fuels formed from ancient buried life; they are nonrenewable.
Why the split matters
- Nonrenewable fuels supply most of the world's energy today.
- But they will run low, and burning them pollutes the air.
- Renewable sources are cleaner and never run out.
- The big challenge is shifting from nonrenewable to renewable energy.
Solar and wind energy will run out within a few years of heavy use.
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Sunlight and wind keep arriving no matter how much we use — that is what makes them renewable.
Select all renewable energy sources.
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Solar, wind, and hydropower are renewable. Coal is a nonrenewable fossil fuel.
"Renewable" is about the rate of refill, not about being clean. A renewable source can still cause harm (a dam floods land; biomass burning releases smoke). And "nonrenewable" does not mean instantly gone — there is coal left, but it is finite and will run out. Judge each source by both: does it refill, and what does it cost?
Two power stations:
- One burns coal dug from a mine. When the coal seam is empty, that energy is gone forever — and the smoke pollutes the air.
- The other spins turbines with wind. Tomorrow the wind blows again, and the day after. The fuel never runs out and makes no smoke.
- Same electricity; one source is renewable, the other is not.
A renewable resource is refilled by nature as fast as we use it (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass). A nonrenewable resource exists in a fixed amount and runs out — the fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and nuclear fuel. Fossil fuels supply most energy today but are finite and polluting; the shift to renewables is the central energy challenge.