Non-Renewable Resource Use
(Adapted from Discovery Education: Science Textbook)
1.
It is a fact that we all consume resources. Our lives require that we eat
food, drive cars and burn fuels. Unfortunately, many of the resources we use,
like coal, oil and natural gas, are non-renewable: we use them at a rate much
faster than they naturally replenish. Oil (petroleum), for example, is formed
over millions of years. At the current rate at which we are using our oil supply,
it is possible that we will run out of it in just a few decades. New methods of
extracting oil, conservation efforts, and energy-saving techniques may extend
our supplies. But it is essential that we learn more about non-renewable
resource use in order to help us better manage our resources. Let’s explore the
costs and benefits of some non-renewable resources.
Picture of an oil well.
Coal
2.
Coal is a major industry in the United States. In 2010,
miners extracted over one billion tons of coal. The amount of
coal mined each year has been climbing, in part because our
population continues to grow. Most of this coal is used to
generate electricity.
Coal mine in West Virginia.
3.
Critics point out the drawbacks of coal mining. Many
coal mines are surface mines, meaning that large sections of land
are removed to extract the coal. These surface mines can
degrade water quality, damage habitats and introduce
pollutants to the environment. And when coal is burned to
produce electricity, the emissions can contain different toxins,
including mercury, which causes cancer. These toxins pollute the
air and water, and they can harm human health.
Diagram of how coal turns into electricity.
One danger of power plants using coal is that sometimes ash can
pollute the rivers and the air. This picture was taken in North
Carolina in the Dan River after coal ash polluted the river.
4.
There are drawbacks to using coal, but we must also
consider the benefits before condemning it. If you’ve ever
turned on a light, chances are you’ve used energy generated by
coal. Electricity is essential to many aspects of our society.
Industry needs electricity to power machines. People need
electricity for homes, televisions, and computers. On a positive
note, the U.S. government has taken many steps over the years
to reduce the negative impacts of coal mining and burning. Coal
mines must restore the land to its original condition. Other laws
require that emissions from power plants be cleaned to remove
harmful particulates.
Natural gas
5.
Natural gas is another resource often used as fuel. In 2010,
the United States used about 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas,
about one-quarter of all of the energy used in the country. One of its
main uses is as a heating source, and it’s estimated that natural gas is
used in more than fifty percent of the homes in America.
6.
There are several benefits to using natural gas. Natural gas is
the cleanest burning fossil fuel. It has low emissions, especially
compared to coal. Many of the byproducts of natural gas, such as
propane, can also be used. Geologists study rock layers to pinpoint
natural gas deposits, reducing the need for excess drilling.
Fire ignited by natural gas escaping from a well in Japan.
7.
There are also costs associated with natural gas. Though geologists can
pinpoint where natural gas is found, the drilling can harm the environment.
Moving natural gas requires a network of pipes, which can disturb plant and
animal habitats. Burning natural gas also releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse
gas associated with global warming, into the air.
8.
Other non-renewable resources
include petroleum and nuclear energy.
Can you think of costs and benefits for
each of those resources?
Natural gas drilling rig.
Natural gas pipelines can harm the
environment.