Nonrenewable Resources: Definition & Examples
We use a variety of resources in our everyday lives, but did you know that once some of these resources run out, they can’t be replenished? In this lesson, we will learn what nonrenewable resources are and take a look at some examples.
What Are Nonrenewable Resources?
Resources, or something that is used for a specific purpose, can be either renewable or nonrenewable. Renewable resources are those resources that are not in danger of being used up, while nonrenewable resources are found in fixed amounts and are being used faster than they can be replenished.
Think of it like a magazine subscription. As long as there are magazines available, you can renew your subscription. However, if the publisher stops making the magazine, your subscription is now nonrenewable. Nonrenewable resources are those found inside the earth, and they took millions of years to form. These include the fossil fuels, oil, natural gas, and coal and nuclear energy. Today, close to 84% of the total amount of energy used globally comes from fossil fuels.
The Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels are energy resources that are composed of carbon and were formed millions of years ago from the remains of past life, hence the name ‘fossil fuels.’ There are three types of fossil fuels – oil, natural gas and coal.
Oil is the liquid fossil fuel and is often referred to as petroleum. Oil is found in the substance between rock layers or within rocks themselves. To retrieve the oil, a well is dug and the oil is pumped up to the surface. Oil is used for everything from heating fuel to making plastic to the gasoline we put in our cars.
Natural gas is the gaseous form of fossil fuels. It is often found near oil deposits in the subsurface. It is lighter than air and composed mainly of methane, which is why it has no smell. Before natural gas can be used, a special additive is mixed in to give it an odor so it can be easily detected. Natural gas is also pumped to the surface, often via the same pump that is used to retrieve oil. Natural gas is mainly used for heating our homes.
Coal is the solid form of fossil fuels. Unlike oil and natural gas, coal forms from ancient, plant-filled swamps that have since been covered for millions of years by sediment. All this organic material, carbon, cooks for millions of years and eventually becomes coal.
There are four types, or stages, of coal – peat, lignite, bituminous and anthracite. Peat is the first stage of coal formation and is much softer than the other types of coal, with little to no heat content. The heat content of coal is the amount of energy it has available. The second type of coal is called lignite. Lignite is a brown coal and also has very little heat content, making it less desirable as an energy source.
The third stage of coal formation is bituminous coal. This is the most commonly used coal in the United States. It is a harder coal and has a fairly high heat content. The highest grade and most sought after type of coal is anthracite. Anthracite has a very high heat content, but is much harder to find than the other types of coal.
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