Resources and Reserves

Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources

A renewable resource is a natural resource that can be replenished with the passage of time or does not abate (run out or reduce at all).
- An example of renewable resources that can be replenished would be wood, as trees can be regrown.
  - Keep in mind that, if the time frame for replenishing is far too long, it is not considered renewable.
  - Generally resources, that can be replenished within a lifetime are considered renewable.
  - Otherwise resources such as fossil fuels, which replenish over hundreds of millions of years, would be considered renewable.
- An example of a renewable resource that does not abate would be sunlight, which does not run out (at least not for a few billion years).
Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that comes from resources whcih are naturally replenished on a human timescale such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat.

A natural resource that cannot be remade or re-grown as it does not naturally reform at a rate that makes it sustainable.
Examples include:
- Coal
- Petroleum
- Natural gas
- Minerals and metals

Sunlight as a resource is the light and heat from the sun, which can be converted into energy.
Sunlight has been used since ancient times and is one of the most used renewable energy sources today.
The amount of energy production depends on the weather so it can be unreliable.

Wind energy is the conversion of energy found in wind into a useful form of energy such as electricity by using wind turbines.
The amount of energy production depends on the wind speed so it can be unreliable.
It only produces 5% of world's electricity but in some countries like Denmark it counts for almost 60%.

Tidal energy is the converted energy shifting of tides into electricity.
However not yet widely used even though tides are more predictable than wind energy and solar power.
- Generally equipment is very difficult to maintain in saltwater and it often degrades and breaks down.

Energy from waves is collected from ocean surface waves.
There are many types of devices that harness wave energy and new prototypes are being developed rapidly.

Biomass is biological material extracted from living, or recently living organisms such as wood, waste, and alcohol fuels.
Burning biomass can be used to generate electricity, although this releases greenhouse gases.
- However, plants capture about as much greenhouse gases as they release when burned, making it a carbon-neutral process.

The level at which a resource is renewable.
The rate at which a resource can be replenished.
- For example, cotton can be harvested and regrown annually, whereas trees can only be harvested every 2 decades.

Reserves are natural resources that have been identified in terms of quantity and quality.
A proven reserve are those resources that can economically and technically extracted.
Probable, or unproven reserves exist but might not be viable at this moment.
- For example gold in seawater.
These resources may be reasonably considered economically recoverable using current or future technology.

Governments need to balance the economic benefits and political impact of resource extraction.
Unequal distribution of reserves can lead to disagreements and even war.

Often multinational companies licensed to extract resources have limited consideration for the local population.
This can lead to decreased well-being of those in the area and worker exploitation.
- Oil companies are often brought into a country to explore possible new fields and then develop them.
- The oil companies pay the government a set amount which can develop wealth.
- This can produce local employment and other opportunities.

For the economical and political importance of material and land resources and reserves, the following need to be considered:

The costs of setting up a network that extracts resources.
Set-up costs are typically high and sometimes national or local governments cannot afford to set-up the infrastructure and the extraction site, so outside multinationals might be invited to do so instead.

The efficiency of converting resources into usable energy.
The efficiency rate of converting raw resources into energy can vary a lot.
- For example, fracking for oil and gas deposits can be less efficient than converting solar power.

Guarantee the consistency of the supply.
- For example, can a consistent water flow to a hydraulic plant be guaranteed, or to what degree can one rely on a minimum amount of sunshine hours?

The impact on local communities.
- Can also consider the impact on other communities.
- For example, it could bring jobs (skilled and unskilled) and wealth.
- Employment could be permanent or temporary.
  - Short-term excavation/extraction is temporary.

The impact on the local environment.
- Can also consider the impact of non-local environments.
The extraction of resources often has a damaging environmental impact for local communities.

Consequences of dismantling the resource network.
- This is economically quite expensive, especially with nuclear reactors.
- Sometimes firms might simply abandon the equipment, which can be harmful for the local communities.