Natural Resources

Natural Resources

1. Natural resources are parts of the environment used by living organisms for food, shelter, and all other needs.

a. Examples: water, air, food, plants

b. Materials and energy needed to make cars, books, computers, gasoline and electricity

c. Renewable and nonrenewable resources

1. Renewable Resources

A. Renewable resource is a natural resource that is recycled or replaced by ongoing natural processes.

B. Examples:1. Water and carbon cycle through the Earth.

2. Food

3. trees

2. Nonrenewable Resources A. A nonrenewable resource is a natural

resource that cannot be replaced once they are gone

B. Petroleum, also known as crude oil, is a thick greasy liquid formed from the bodies of organisms that died hundreds of millions years ago.

C. Examples: 1. Minerals ( diamonds, sand, gravel, the graphite

used to make pencils)

2. Metals( gold, silver, copper, tin)

3. Top soil – takes hundreds of years to replace

4. Forest – “ “ “

D. It is the raw material used to make: fuels, gasoline, plastics, chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers

3. Fossil Fuels

A. Fossil Fuels include coal, natural gas, oil, gasoline, heating oil and kerosene.

B. However, the burning of fossil fuels is polluting our air and water, and put carbon in the air (greenhouse effect)

C. Used in: creating electricity, cars, factories

4. Solar energy

A. Photovoltaic cells are wafers made of the mineral silicon covered with thin layers of metal

B. When the sun’s light hits these layers, electricity is created

C. No Pollution

D. Problems: It is very expensive

5. Water and Wind Power

A. Hydroelectric power is electricity produced by the energy of flowing water

B. Extremely efficient and NO POLLUTION

C. Wind power – a wind mill is a turbine that is rotated by the wind and created energy (electricity)

D. But if not windy – no power!!!

6. Geothermal Energy – energy from Earth

A. Is energy that is thermal energy in the Earth's crust

B. Geothermal power plants take steam, heat or hot water and spins generators to produce electricity

C. Very clean – little or no waste, reliable, easy on land

9. Nuclear Energya. Nuclear energy is produced when billions

of uranium nuclei are split apart in a nuclear fission reaction.

b. NO AIR POLLUTIONc. Problems:

– The mining of uranium: disturbs land ecosystems

– Nuclear power plants produce radioactive waste., which needs to be disposed of properly.

Questions

1. What are natural resources?

2. Compare and contrast renewable and nonrenewable resources.

3. Explain how fossil fuels could be considered a form of solar energy.