Natural Resources

Renewable Resources: are ones that can be replaced in nature at a rate close to their rate of use Oxygen Trees Food Sunlight

Non-renewable Resources exist in a fixed amount or are used up much faster than they can be replaced Petroleum Coal Metals Natural gas salt Non metals Sand and gravel

Supply vs. Demand US has many resources but also great demand Average US citizen uses 40,000 pounds of minerals every year! Experts estimate most of the US mineral resources will be gone in < 60 years

Our Most Important Resource: Energy FOSSIL FUELS: Made from the remains of organisms (plants and animals) that lived millions of years ago NON renewable

Earth at night as seen from space

COAL Made from burial of plant remains in swamps from 300 million years ago Abundant and inexpensive Most of our electric power comes from burning coal The MOST polluting of all the fossil fuels Difficult (heavy) to transport

COAL

Petroleum & Natural Gas Formed from decay of shallow marine organisms trapped in ocean sediments 300 million years ago Expensive to pump out of ground Most remaining reserves are in Saudi Arabia/ Middle East Used as heating and transportation fuel

Petroleum & Natural Gas

Uranium (Nuclear Energy) Used in nuclear power plants to make inexpensive electricity Small amount needed: 1 g Uranium = 3 tons coal = 14 barrels oil Dangerous radioactive wastes Vulnerable to large scale accidents, natural disasters, terrorist attacks

RENEWABLE ENERGY Hydroelectric

Tidal Electric

WIND

Solar Energy

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Environmental Issues and the Use of Natural Resources Mining Destruction of surface and soil takes decades to recover

Environmental Issues and the Use of Natural Resources Mining Mine drainage is toxic, poisons rivers and lakes and groundwater downstream

Water pollution from coal mine

Environmental Issues and the Use of Natural Resources Nuclear Power Radioactive waste make take hundreds of years to decay Accidents!

Environmental Issues and the Use of Natural Resources Fossil Fuels Air Pollution (Smog) Acid Rain

Global Warming Carbon Dioxide CO 2 is not a pollutant or a poisonous gas It is made when all types of fossil fuels are burned It traps heat in the atmosphere (the Greenhouse Effect) Man-made CO 2 is causing global warming

Sources of Carbon Dioxide

Results of Global Warming

Global Temperatures since 1884

Conservation:Energy Efficiency Electric cars High Mileage and Hybrid cars

Use Renewable Energy Resources Solar Car

RECYCLE and REUSE