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What are renewable Resources?
Conceptual Understanding: As non-renewable resources run out, designers need to develop innovative solutions to meet basic human needs for energy, food and raw materials. The development of renewable and sustainable resources is one of the major challenges of the 21st century for designers.
Resources
Resources are the stock or supply of materials that are available (in a given context).
When we talk about resource management and sustainable production we are considering the three following issues and relating them to how we manage resources and reserves.
Consumption of raw materials (e.g. bauxite for aluminium, timber for paper)
Consumption of energy (for extraction, processing, distribution, etc.)
Production of waste (through the whole life cycle and product cycle)
In groups of 2 or 3
Select a product from the list below and present the impact on consumption of raw material, energy and production of waste for the following products:
A- Aluminium Can, B- Steel Chassis for Car, C- Glass Bottles, D- Virgin Paper, E- Plastic bottles, F- Teak garden chair
Renewable resources: Conceptual Understanding: A natural resource that can be replenished with the passage of time, or does not abate at all.
Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that is collected from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat and some of these require careful management
There is increasing pressure to use renewable energy sources due to:
on-going issue globally of ever increasing costs of oil
political instability
issues with the security of supply
issues of the greenhouse effect are leading to noticeable climate change and other pollution.
There are limitations of the use of renewable energy resources as:
the extent to which we can replace our dependence on fossil fuels with energy derived from renewable resources
the high set-up costs, unreliable supply and low energy density.
Non-Renewable: Conceptual Understanding: A natural resource that cannot be re-made or re-grown as it does not naturally re-form at a rate that makes its use sustainable, for example, coal, petroleum and natural gas.
A non-renewable resource (also called a finite resource) is a resource that does not renew (replenish) itself and therefore can run out if the rate of extraction is not maintained. These include fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil/petroleum, fossil fuels/coal, minerals/ores and nuclear energy.
Modern industrial societies have become dependent on non-renewable fossil fuels as the major sources of energy supply and electricity production because they are cheap and plentiful supplies for electricity production and other energy needs. However, the depletion of supplies of coal, oil and gas challenges continuity of supply in the longer term.
Comparison of renewable and non-renewable resources
Renewable Resources
1.) Are inexhaustible
2.) Are not affected by human activities
3.) Release less carbon emissions
4.) More expensive to implement.
eg. hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, wind, tidal
Non Renewable Resources
1.) Resources are present in fixed and limited quantities.
2.) Are exhaustible.
3.) Release more carbon emissions.
4.) Less expensive to implement.
eg. coal, timber, natural gas, oil, nuclear, minerals and ores
Discuss the Pro’s and Con’s
Reserves: Conceptual Understanding: Reserves are natural resources that have been identified in terms of quantity and quality.
Reserves are that part of the reserve base that can be economically extracted at the time of determination as a natural resource that has been identified in terms of quantity and quality.
Energy reserves are projected on the basis of geologic and engineering data and cannot be obtained at present due to economic or technical reasons; i.e. mining of oil sands is currently uneconomical due to current price structure.
The image here visually shows total recoverable reserves for finite energy resources and yearly potential for renewables. The world’s energy reserves: a fundamental look, is that the amount of energy available from the sun is more than 200 times larger than all the others combined.
Economic and political:
What impact does extraction of oil or other resources by land/sea have on resource security for nations and international treaties?
Rare Earth Mining paradox to a green planet.
Often, multinational companies licensed to extract resources have limited consideration for the local population. Governments need to balance the economic benefits and political impact of resource extraction. What examples can you discuss?
Resource management and monopoly.
Understanding the importance of the resources we fight for..
scientistsus.mp4Renewability: The level at which a resource is renewable. The rate that a resource can be replenished.
Renewability relates to a resource that can be replenished over time or is inexhaustible, for example Hardwood trees (such as many rainforest species) take a fair bit of time to mature to a point where is is useable as a resource, therefore, it is considered non-renewable.
On the other hand, softwoods (such as Pines or conifers) mature more quickly and are considered a renewable resource.
Another example is fresh drinking water. We need to conserve resources and use advanced technologies that improve energy efficiency (systems)
Any timber that grows in less than a human lifetime is defined as being renewable. Suggest which timbers are better renewable resources.
What examples of conserving resources and technologies can you discuss that will improve energy efficiency.
How does reverse osmosis (pictured here) promote renewability?
In your Books:
The impact of multinational companies when obtaining resources in different countries/ regions can be a significant issue for the local population and have major social, ethical and environmental implications. Give some examples:
The development of renewable and sustainable resources is one of the major challenges of the 21st century for designers.
The economic and political importance of material and land resources and reserves considering set-up cost, efficiency of conversion, sustainable and constant supply, social impact, environmental impact and decommissioning .
Give examples of countries tackling this challenge.
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