We are at a time when humanity must choose what type of energy to use en masse to save the planet; We have two options:
The renewable or clean energy that is obtained from natural sources such as wind or water, among others; and the non-renewable that comes from nuclear or fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas or coal.
The latter have been the protagonists of recent history with industrialization, they are exhaustible and have been shown to generate pollution in the environment. On the other hand, renewables, as they are obtained from natural sources, are inexhaustible provided that we protect the resources from which they come, e.g. water.
In comparison, choosing one type or another is not too complicated: renewable energies are presented as the great solution to earth’s future since they are generated with infinite materials that are naturally found and are easily regenerated.
In addition, producing them is much less polluting than non-renewable ones, although, due to their low popularity, they are still more expensive to originate and require large-scale facilities that can affect natural ecosystems if not operated correctly.
In the same way, this type of energy works better in certain climates or times of the day, as in the case of solar energy, which would be a disadvantage for its mass generation.
Even so, renewable energies, in addition to being the clean and inexhaustible option, are indigenous, they do not leave waste and their carbon footprint is reduced; While the non-renewable options, polluting and limited, are not very sustainable in the use of technologies in addition to having complicated production processes that involve many external factors.
For this reason, in our company we work on projects where renewable energy and the energy transition take the lead, and where the communities involved are part of each process as part of our commitment to sustainability.
For this reason, on October 21 we celebrate energy-saving day because we believe in its power to continue transforming the world.
For class 10 students, Development is considered as an important chapter in Economics.
This article will highlight the key differences between Renewable resources and Non-renewable resources.
But, before proceeding further, I would like to make you familiar with the key terms used in this article.
- Renewable resources: These resources are easily available on the surface of the earth and can be replenished naturally in the course of time.
- Non-renewable resources: These resources are in a limited amount on the surface of the earth and can’t be replenished as it takes millions of years to develop.
I’ve decided to provide you with the key differences between renewable resources and Non-renewable resources and put them all in the tabular format.
| Renewable resources can’t be depleted over time i.e. it can be used and reused over and over again. | Non-Renewable resources can be depleted over time i.e. can never be restored once it get destroyed. |
| They are also called inexhaustible resources. | They are also called exhaustible resources. |
| They are replaced by nature in a short period of time. | These resources exist in very limited amount and require millions of years to replace itself. |
| They are sustainable and environmentally friendly. | They causes pollution and also releases carbon dioxide. |
| The rate at which resources get consumed does not affect its availability or restoring capacity. | These resources are renewed so slowly that the rate at which they are consumed is too fast. |
| The upfront cost of renewable energy is high. For example, generating electricity using technologies running on renewable energy is costlier than generating it with fossil fuels. | Non renewable energy has a comparatively lower upfront cost. |
| For example, wind, water, biomass, solar energy, etc. | For example, minerals, fossil fuels etc. |
That’s it.
Final Words
That’s it.
All the important differences between Renewable resources and Non-renewable resources from Chapter 1 Development as per the NCERT class 10 are listed above in the table format.
If you have any related queries or suggestions, feel free to let me know in the comments right now.
Sources:
- NCERT – Development