Difference between Renewable and Non-renewable Resources : Hi friends today we are going to cover a very important topic related to climate. We will try to tell the difference between the above mentioned subject in very easy form possible. So, lets dive in the knowledge pool with us.
Difference between Renewable and Non-renewable Resources
To understand the difference between above mentioned subject first we need to understand the source of resources. The source of Natural resources come from the Earth, Sun and our Atmosphere. The best example of natural resources are Water, Crude Oil, Coal etc. The resources make human life easy and convenient.
Nature has blessed us with various perpetual natural recourses. Now these natural resources can be classified into Renewable and Non-renewable Resources.
Renewable Resources
Renewable resources are resources that are replaced at the same rate in which the resource is being used. These resources cannot be exhausted even after continuous utilisation by human being. This type of resource get replenished or replaced through natural processes during certain course of time.
The Examples of renewable resources are :-
- Biomass
- Geothermal
- Hydropower
- Solar energy
- Wind
Non-Renewable Resources
Non-renewable resources are those resources that are available to us in limited quantities and which cannot be replenished immediately. Usually these natural resources get depleted or exhausted with continuous human consumption.
The Examples of Non-renewable resources are :-
- Coal
- Crude Oil
- Ground water
- Natural Gas
- Uranium
Now lets see the key differences between these two in tabular format.
Key Differences between Renewable and Non-renewable Resources
| Parameters | Renewable Resources | Non-Renewable Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Depletion / Supply | These resources cannot be depleted or exhausted over time | These resources cannot be renewed once exhausted. They have a confined amount of supply and cannot be replenished by human being. |
| Sources / Examples of Sources | These resources includes Biomass, geothermal, sunlight, wind, water. | whereas non-renewable resources includes coal, crude oil, natural gas, mineral ores. |
| Environmental Impact | Renewable resources are environmental friendly and their impact on climate is less or negligible. The carbon footprint is also very less. | These resources has comparatively high carbon foot print when compared to renewable resources. These have adverse affect on the health of man kind and other living organisms. |
| Cost / Infrastructure | To harness these resources the infrastructure cost is very high when compared to non-renewable. Specially for small and poor countries. | The cost of infrastructure is low and cost-effective, very less capital need to be invested for infra related expenditure. |
| Area requirement | The requirement of area to set up a renewable energy resource is comparatively very large. | Area requirement for harnessing these resources is less when compared to renewable resources. |
We hope that we have covered all major differences about today’s topic. If you have more doubt you can shoot the questions in comment section right now.