Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages

Geothermal - Geo means – Thermal means - Earth heat

Geothermal - uses heat from the Earth to turn water into steam. The steam spins the turbines, which runs the generator, which produces electricity.

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal Heat from Earth’s center renewable

There are not many places where you can put a geothermal power station GEOTHERMAL It does not produce any pollution Once you’ve built a geothermal power station, the energy is almost free

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solar Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere

Solar Energy On the sun, nuclear fusion is occurring. Solar panels can convert solar energy into electrical energy.

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solar Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere perpetual Sun (nuclear fusion)

Advantages Will not be depleted (won’t run out) Doesn’t produce waste or pollution Solar energy is free Won’t work at night or cloudy days, so not as reliable. Very expensive to build solar panels. Disadvantages SOLAR

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solarSun (nuclear fusion) nuclear Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere perpetual Non polluting Free Not reliable (cloudy, night)

Nuclear energy can be transformed into electrical energy. To make the electricity, the atom is split (fission) which produces a large amount of heat. We use this thermal energy to heat water to create steam. The steam turns the turbines, which drives the generator to make electricity.

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solarSun (nuclear fusion) nuclear Heat released when atoms split/fused Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere perpetual Non polluting Free Not reliable (cloudy, night) nonrenewable

Advantages Costs about the same as coal, which is not very expensive Is not burned, so it does not produce green house gases to pollute the air Produces large amounts of energy from small amounts of fuel Disadvantages Waste material is radioactive and so is deadly If the plant has a meltdown or leak, it can make the area unlivable for many, many years

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solarSun (nuclear fusion) nuclear Heat released when atoms split/fused wind Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere perpetual Non polluting Free Not reliable (cloudy, night) nonrenewable Not expensive Nonpolluting air Waste is radioactive

Wind spins the turbines, which moves the shaft to power the generator which produces electricity. Caused by uneven heating of the Earth

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solarSun (nuclear fusion) nuclear Heat released when atoms split/fused wind Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere perpetual Non polluting Free Not reliable (cloudy, night) nonrenewable Not expensive Nonpolluting air Waste is radioactive Uneven heating of Earth perpetual

Wind is free!!! Wind produces no waste! Wind will not be depleted. The wind is unpredictable. Some days you can have wind other days you don’t.

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solarSun (nuclear fusion) nuclear Heat released when atoms split/fused windFree energy Non polluting Not always wind, not reliable biomass Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere perpetual Non polluting Free Not reliable (cloudy, night) nonrenewable Not expensive Nonpolluting air Waste is radioactive Uneven heating of Earth perpetual

Biomass Plant material that we can burn to heat water, to make steam, to turn turbines, to run the generator.

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solarSun (nuclear fusion) nuclear Heat released when atoms split/fused windFree energy Non polluting Not always wind, not reliable biomassPlant waste burned to release energy. Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere perpetual Non polluting Free Not reliable (cloudy, night) nonrenewable Not expensive Nonpolluting air Waste is radioactive Uneven heating of Earth perpetual renewable

Advantages Free! Renewable Available most places Disadvantages * Is burned, so produces greenhouse gases that pollute the atmosphere

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solarSun (nuclear fusion) nuclear Heat released when atoms split/fused windFree energy Non polluting Not always wind, not reliable biomassPlant waste burned to release energy. Free Easily found Renewable Pollutes the air as it is burned. coal Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere perpetual Non polluting Free Not reliable (cloudy, night) nonrenewable Not expensive Nonpolluting air Waste is radioactive Uneven heating of Earth perpetual renewable

Coal – formed from plants that dies millions of years ago. Coal is burned to heat water for steam to turn the turbines, to power the generator.

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solarSun (nuclear fusion) nuclear Heat released when atoms split/fused windFree energy Non polluting Not always wind, not reliable biomassPlant waste burned to release energy. Free Easily found Renewable Pollutes the air as it is burned. coal Plants from ancient times Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere perpetual Non polluting Free Not reliable (cloudy, night) nonrenewable Not expensive Nonpolluting air Waste is radioactive Uneven heating of Earth perpetual renewable nonrenewable

Advantages: * Price is relatively cheap * The US has a lot of it * Easy to find and remove from Earth. Disadvantages: * Pollutes the atmosphere with greenhouse gases because it is burned * Limited supply Coal

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solarSun (nuclear fusion) nuclear Heat released when atoms split/fused windFree energy Non polluting Not always wind, not reliable biomassPlant waste burned to release energy. Free Easily found Renewable Pollutes air with greenhouse gases when burned. Coal and oil Formed from ancient plants (coal) and animals Cheap Lots of it in US Pollutes air when burned hydroelectri c Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere perpetual Non polluting Free Not reliable (cloudy, night) nonrenewable Not expensive Nonpolluting air Waste is radioactive Uneven heating of Earth perpetual renewable nonrenewable

Hydroelectric Dammed up water is released to spin turbines, which run the generator to produce electricity.

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solarSun (nuclear fusion) biomassPlant waste burned to release energy. Free Easily found Renewable Pollutes air with greenhouse gases when burned. Coal and oil Formed from ancient plants (coal) and animals Cheap Lots of it in US Pollutes air when burned hydroelectricDammed up water is released Heat from Earth’s center No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere Not reliable (cloudy, night) renewable

Once the dam is made, the energy is free. No air pollution created Changes ecosystems as you must flood an area when making the dam.

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solarSun (nuclear fusion) nuclear Heat released when atoms split/fused windFree energy Non polluting Not always wind, not reliable hydroelectri c Dammed up water is released Free water Non polluting Change ecosystems Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere perpetual Non polluting Free Not reliable (cloudy, night) nonrenewable Not expensive Nonpolluting air Waste is radioactive Uneven heating of Earth perpetual renewable

Natural Resource DescriptionRenewable/ Perpetual/ Nonrenewable AdvantagesDisadvantages geothermal solarSun (nuclear fusion) nuclear Heat released when atoms split/fused windFree energy Non polluting Not always wind, not reliable biomassPlant waste burned to release energy. Free Easily found Renewable Pollutes air with greenhouse gases when burned. Coal and oil Formed from ancient plants (coal) and animals Cheap Lots of it in US Pollutes air when burned hydroelectri c Dammed up water is released renewable Free water Non polluting Change ecosystems Heat from Earth’s center renewable No pollution Free Can’t be placed everywhere perpetual Non polluting Free Not reliable (cloudy, night) nonrenewable Not expensive Nonpolluting air Waste is radioactive Uneven heating of Earth perpetual renewable nonrenewable renewable