From this article, we are going to explain about some essential 10 examples of non renewable resources; you should be known about them. This is unique content over the internet; after reading this post, you will fully get to know about Non Renewable Resources Examples without any obstacle.
Introduction to Non Renewable Resources
Non-renewable resources are natural resources that cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a pace quick enough to keep up with consumption. These resources are finite and include coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy. When, these resources are used up, and then they are unable to replace, which is a major issue for humanity as we are currently based on them to supply most of our energy needs.
The opposite of non-renewable resources is renewable ones, whose supplies are abundant and are considered sustainable. Renewable resources’ supplies are abundant and endless that makes them easy to find and easy to replace.
20 Examples of Non-Renewable Resources
Non-renewable resources are finite and cannot be replenished on human timescales. They are typically extracted from the Earth and include fossil fuels, minerals, and nuclear fuels. Here are some common examples of non-renewable resources, including:
Crude Oil
Crude oil is a non-renewable resource that is extracted from beneath the Earth’s surface and processed into products that can be used commercially. It is a fossil fuel that is formed from the remains of dead plants and animals that have been buried for millions of years. Once crude oil is used up, it cannot be replaced, and the world’s oil reserves will not always be enough to provide for the world’s demand for petroleum.
Why is Crude Oil Non Renewable?
Crude oil is example of non-renewable resource because it is a fossil fuel that is formed from the remains of dead plants and animals that have been buried for millions of years. Once crude oil is extracted and consumed, it cannot be replaced, and the world’s oil reserves will not always be enough to provide for the world’s demand for petroleum.
When Will Uranium Run Out?
Estimations vary on when crude oil will run out, but it is predicted that we will run out of oil from known reserves in about 47 to 57 years if demand forecasts hold. However, new reserves are found every day, and the estimates are based on the current rates of production and consumption.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is formed from the remains of animals and plants. It is a non-renewable resource that cannot be replaced once it is used up. This is a mixture of hydrocarbon compounds that is consisting the primarily of methane, with varying amounts of other highly alkanes, propane, butane, and pentane.
Natural gas is the cleanest of all the fossil fuels that is going to use as a fuel source like as heating, cooking, and electricity generation. It is a combustible hydrocarbon gas that presents naturally on Earth and is odorless and colorless in its pure state.
Why is Natural Gas Non Renewable?
Natural gas is also good example of non-renewable resource because it has been taken millions of years to form. It is made from the remains of tiny sea plants and animals that were died millions of years ago and were buried under layers of sediment.
Once natural gas is extracted and consumed, it cannot be replaced, and the world’s natural gas reserves will not always be enough to provide for the world’s demand for energy.
When Will Natural Gas Run Out?
Estimations vary on when natural gas will run out, but according to the 2015 World Energy Outlook study by the International Energy Agency, at the current rates of production, natural gas will run out in 54 years.
However, the estimates are based on the current rates of production and consumption, and new reserves are found every day.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, as of December 30, 2021, U.S. total natural gas proved reserves were estimated to be about 625.4 trillion cubic feet, which was a 32% increase from the estimated 473 Tcf of proved reserves at the end of 2020.
Uranium
Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element with the chemical symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal that is presented in small traces in most rocks and in ocean water.
Uranium is going to use as a fuel for nuclear power plants and in nuclear weapons. It can be also used in the production of colored glass and in photography.
Why is Uranium Non Renewable?
Uranium is a non-renewable resource because it takes millions of years to form, and once it is extracted and consumed, it cannot be replaced. Uranium is a radioactive element that is found in low amounts within all rocks on Earth.
The isotopes of uranium were formed 6.6 billion years ago in supernovas and do not naturally regenerate.
When Will Uranium Run Out?
It is difficult to predict when uranium will run out, as new reserves are found every day. The use of depleted uranium munitions has been fiercely debated, with opponents saying that it is a toxic chemical and radiation health hazard when inside the body.
Uranium is a radioactive element that is presented in low amounts within all rocks on Earth. All isotopes of uranium are radioactive, and DU is appreciably less radioactive than unprocessed uranium.
Tar Sand
Tar sands are also named as oil sands, that are a unconventional petroleum deposit. They are a mixture of sand, clay, water, and bitumen, which is a thick, molasses-like substance made of hydrocarbons.
Bitumen is used to produce gasoline and other petroleum products, but extracting and refining it from tar sands is significantly costlier and more difficult than extracting and refining liquid oil.
Tar sands are available in several locations around the world, but the largest amounts are found in Alberta, Canada. Common extraction concepts include surface mining and “in-situ” mining, where steam is utilised to liquefy bitumen deep underground.
Why is Tar Sand Non Renewable?
Tar sands are not renewable resources because they are a mixture of sand, clay, water, and bitumen, which is a thick, molasses-like substance made of hydrocarbons.
Coal
Coal is a non-renewable resource that takes millions of years to form and is made up of the energy stored by plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago in swampy forests.
Plants covered the layers of dirt and rock over millions of years, then resulting pressure and heat turned the plants into the substance we name coal.
Coal is mostly going to use for the fuel source for electricity production, heating, and industrial processes.
Iron
Iron is also a non-renewable resource that is categorized as a mineral. It takes millions of years to make and is found in limited quantities on our planet.
Iron ore is a natural resource that is extracted from rocks in the earth. It is used to produce steel that is going to use in several industries like as construction, transportation, and manufacturing.
Once iron is extracted and consumed, then it cannot be replaced, and the world’s iron reserves will not always be enough to provide for the world’s demand for steel.
Phosphate
Phosphate is found in igneous and sedimentary rock. Phosphate rock is a finite resource that has taken millions of years to form from seabed to soil via tectonic uplift and weathering.
Mostly phosphorus is used in fertilizer comes from phosphate rock, and 90% of the world’s mined phosphate rock is utilized in agriculture and food production, mostly as fertilizer.
Unfortunately, most phosphorus is wasted, with only 20% of the phosphorus in phosphate rock reaching the food consumed globally.
Aluminium
Aluminium is also a non-renewable resource that is unable to form naturally by the environment. It is a metal that is going to use for various objectives, like as to make foil paper, utensils, and packaging.
Although aluminium can be easily recycled without loss of properties and can be used again and again to form new packaging and other product applications, it is still considered a non-renewable resource.
This is because aluminium is mined from the Earth like other metals, and once the supply of aluminium in the Earth is exhausted, we won’t have any more.
Rare Earth Elements (REE)
Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are non-renewable resource that contains the 17 elements, like as scandium, yttrium, and the 15 lanthanides.
REEs are mostly going to use in several applications like as smart phones, loudspeakers, magnets, medical imaging equipment, and guided missiles. The Chinese government currently build-up almost all of the world’s supply of REEs and then it has continually reduced its export quotas.
The demand for REEs is expected to grow 400-600 per cent over the next few years, and the require for minerals like as lithium and cobalt is also essential for the energy transition
Diamonds
Diamonds are examples of non-renewable resource because they take billions of years to form. Diamonds are formed deep within the Earth’s mantle under higher pressure and temperature conditions.
Once all the diamonds that exist right now are mined, we will have to wait billions of years before doing any more diamond mining. This means that diamonds are unable easily replenished or replaced, making them a non-renewable resource.
Gold and Silver
Gold and silver are non-renewable resources because they are elements that cannot be created naturally. However, gold and silver are very recyclable that means; they can be reused and repurposed without losing their properties.
Silver is also a non-renewable resource that is difficult to replace easily and in a reasonable amount of time. Most non-renewable resources are minerals, which are mined, such as gold, iron ore, and titanium.
Steel
Steel is a non-renewable resource that is built-up from iron that is also non-renewable. Once the iron is mined from the ground, and then it must be refined into steel, which is then utilized for various goals, like as to make foil paper, utensils, and packaging.
Although steel can be recycled without loss of properties and can be used again and again to form new packaging and other product applications, it is still considered a non renewable resource.
Marble
Marble is a non renewable resource that takes millions of years to form. Marble is a natural stone that is used for various purposes, such as flooring, countertops, and sculptures.
Although marble can be recycled without loss of properties and can be used again and again to form new products, it is still considered a non renewable resource. Marble is a natural, non renewable resource that is found in limited quantities on our planet.
The production of marble has serious environmental impacts, including deforestation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Marble is not a sustainable material because it is a non-renewable resource and has very energy-intensive manufacturing processes.
Peat
Peat is also example of non-renewable resource that takes millions of years to form. It is a natural resource that can be utilized for various objectives, including gardening and horticulture. Peat is not a sustainable material because it is a non-renewable resource and has very energy-intensive manufacturing processes.
Peat is not a renewable source of energy, because to its extraction rate in industrialized countries far exceeding its slow regrowth rate of 1 mm (0.04 in) per year, and as it is also reported that peat regrowth takes place only in 30–40% of peatlands.
Fossil Water
Fossil water is also example of non-renewable resource that is presented in certain aquifers. It is also called the “paleowater” or “ancient water” that has been underground for thousands of years.
Fossil water is a finite resource that is unable to replenish by natural means at a pace quick enough to keep up with consumption. It is also known the non-renewable resource because it has been taken thousands of years to form naturally and cannot be replaced as fast as it is being consumed.
Fossil water is going to use for various application areas, including as irrigation, drinking water, and industrial processes.
Final Thoughts
Through this post, you are completed educated about some essential 20 examples of non renewable resources; you should be known about them. If this article is valuable for you, then please share it along with your friends, family members or relatives over social media platforms like as Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Twitter, and more.
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