Examples of Non Renewable Resources of Energy We Use Today!
Examples of non renewable resources of energy include oil, coal and gas. These all come from the earth and were formed over millions of years by heat and pressure deep beneath the earth's crust. As we increased our dependence on these fossil fuels the supplies seemed inexhaustible. Deep veins of coal and vast oil fields waited to be tapped.Population growth and lifestyle changes led to an every increasing reliance on these examples of non renewable resources and to a realization those fossil fuel resources would eventually be depleted.
Today we hear much about renewable energy. This includes the potential of solar energy, wind energy and biomass energy.
Although these renewable energy sources are being used in some areas and research is continuing to find ways to use them more efficiently, we still rely on the examples of non renewable resources to provide the energy needs we are accustomed to.
Oil - Prime Example of Non Renewable Resource
Most of the oil in the world is located in the Middle East. This is a problem due to political instability in many oil producing nations.
Oil is a currency countries will fight over and any disruption in the world's oil supply due to war or natural disaster has an almost immediate financial impact around the globe.
While some countries will drill wherever oil fields are found, other nations try to balance preservation of wildlife and undeveloped areas with the need for oil production. This is the case in the U.S. where drilling the Arctic Preserves in Alaska is hotly debated.
The environmental risks of drilling for oil have been well documents from oil spills and oil leaks over the past 30 or more years. In Alaska, the area is heavy forested and is home to many animal species not found elsewhere.
Drilling for oil in Alaska is an argument that continues year after year. Just as it seemed inevitable the Arctic would be opened to more drilling in 2010, the news generated by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico added more fuel to environmental concerns.
Along the Gulf Coast, rare turtles and sea birds were dying by the thousands. Even two years later the rate of young dolphin and sea turtle deaths is double what it was before the BP oil spill.
Many experts predict the world's supply of oil will be almost gone within 60 years if the current rates of use continue. Fears of restricted oil supplies could cause panic in years to come and could result in drilling areas previously off limits.
Coal - Example of Non Renewable Resource Already Disappearing
There is still a lot of coal to be mined. However, in the U.S. the most highly sought after Anthracite coal has almost disappeared.
This is the black, hard, slow burning coal that was coveted for home heating when coal furnaces were the norm. Today the highest grade available is Bituminous which is a grade below Anthracite.
Coal mining is hard work, a dirty business and a dangerous occupation. Coal is composed of carbon and hydrocarbons and is the most widespread fossil fuel found in the U.S. Layers of dead plants in huge swamps were covered by water and dirt over millions of years.
The heat of decomposing plant matter and the pressure of layers of dirt building on top of the plant matter created huge veins of coal running deep into the ground. It took millions of years for the coal deposits to be created and we are depleting them in a few short generations.
Anthracite coal is 85-97% carbon and currently only ½ of 1% of coal mined in the U.S. is anthracite - it is only found today in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Bituminous coal is 100-330 million years old and is the most common coal mined in the U.S. Bituminous coal is widely used to create electricity and is a critical material for the iron and steel industries.
In Wyoming sub-bituminous coal is mined. This has a lower heating value and is 35-45% carbon. Today sub-bituminous coal is about 46% of the total coal mined in the States.
Lignite is the youngest coal with lower carbon and high moisture content. Nineteen mines in the U.S. produce lignite coal mainly in North Dakota and parts of Texas where it is burned to generate electrical power.
Natural Gas
Another example of non renewable resources for energy is natural gas. Natural gas is mainly odorless methane and is a known hazard to coal miners.
Natural gas formed in most cases in and around oil and gas. Natural gas must be piped from the mining location but can also be converted to a liquid for transportation.
When chilled to about -260F, natural gas becomes a liquid which takes up far less space in a storage facility. In the liquefied form, natural gas can be transported by tankers, shipped in trucks and stored in chilled containment tanks.
Most of the natural gas in the U.S. is found in Texas, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Louisiana and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
Natural gas is stored underground and is popular for heating homes, providing cooking energy to gas stoves, etc. Because the methane in natural gas is highly volatile and odorless, a scent is added to natural gas during the drilling process.
The scent was developed ad chosen only for use with natural gas. Thus, that unique odor has come to be associated with "leaking gas" which offers some level of warning and protection.
Summary
Examples of non renewable resources of energy are oil, coal and natural gas. All three are used to produce electricity in the U.S. and they heat our homes, power our cars and are considered part of our daily life.
The goal for environmentalists and scientists is to find replacements for non renewable resources before the supplies of oil, coal and gas are gone from the earth.
