Transcript Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources

Renewable vs. NonRenewable Resources
Non-Renewable Resources
• Material or energy source that cannot be
replaced in a human lifespan.
Earth’s Minerals
• Metallic elements are very important to the
earth’s economy.
• Elements are extracted from the rocks
where they are found.
• Ore- rock with enough of a metallic
element to be used.
• Ore mineral- the metallic element being
removed from the ore.
Ore Extraction
• 3 methods of extracting ores
• Pyrometallurgy- ore is heated in order to
extract minerals. Oldest method
• Electormetallurgy- use electricity to extract
minerals. Used to make steel and other
high purity metals.
• Hydrometallurgy- reactants are used in a
water solution to extract minerals.
Expensive, used for small amounts of
minerals
Use of Minerals
• U.S. is one of the largest consumers of the
earth’s minerals
• World’s reserves could be used up in the
next 60 years if we continue at this rate.
• ** What are some common uses of metals
and non-metal elements?**
Fossil Fuels
• Formed from remains of living organisms.
– Petroleum, coal, and natural gas.
• Energy is released by burning fuel.
– In US coal is used primarily in electrical
power plants.
Coal Formation
• Composed of carbon
• Buried under sand or clay and decay
slowly over time.
– Lose H2O and form into peat, then lignite, and
finally coal.
Stages of Coal Formation
• Peat is first stage- plant parts
recognizable, 50% carbon.
• Lignite is 2nd stage- more compressed,
70% carbon, soft and brown
• Bituminous is 3rd stage- 85% carbon, soft
coal
• Anthracite is final stage- hard coal, >90%
carbon. Clean burning.
Coal Formation
Mining Coal
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Underground
2 types
Room and pillar method
Longwall method
Room and Pillar Method
Room and pillar
• Most common method
• rooms are 20-30 feet wide and the
pillars up to 100 feet wide
• Once they hit the end of a corridor
start retreat mining
• In retreat mining, the workers mine as
much coal as possible from the
remaining pillars until the roof falls in.
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Longwall Mining
Longwall Mining
• Coal is removed allowing ceiling to
collapse.
• Yields more coal but causes more damage
to the surface.
Surface Mining
• Strip Mining- coal is removed from the
surface.
• Causes damage to earth’s surface and
increases erosion.
Acid Mine Drainage
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Pyrite is exposed PbS2
Reaction with air form sulfuric acid H2SO4
Seeps into water
Lowers pH
Major source of Pa pollution
Petroleum and Natural Gas
• Remains of plants, bacteria, and algae.
• Liquid and gas form when more organic
material is produced then destroyed.
• Form in source rocks and migrate to
reservoir rocks.
Oil formation
Natural Gas
• Fracking- Hydraulic fracturing
– Process of pumping millions of gallons of
water and sand underground to fracture rock
and allow natural gas to escape.
– Very controversial due to impact on the
environment.
Renewable Resources
• Any material or energy source that cycles
or can be replaced within the period of a
human life span.
• Ex.- crops, soil, wind, water, sunlight,
organic matter and geothermal energy
Food and Fiber
• Crops are renewable
– Includes livestock
• If resources used faster then re-growth
they will become depleted.
Renewable Resources
• In groups you will investigate the value
and disadvantages of the following types
of renewable resources:
– Wind power, hydropower, biomass, solar,
geothermal, nuclear and hydrogen fuel.