Natural Resources and Energy, Essay Example

Interest in exploring natural resources in order to produce energy has recently increased, especially with the growing care to maintain the global climate. Renewable energy may be defined as power generated from a renewable resource such as winds. When the energy is exploited, the resource itself is naturally replenished and can either be managed so that it lasts forever or its supply is so enormous humans can never meaningfully deplete it (Creswell et al., 2002). Beside this important sustainability feature, natural resources do not release carbon dioxide as a by-product into the atmosphere. Hence, they are considered as environment-friendly resources. Factually, despite these advantageous features, the energy production from natural resources for mass consumption is still limited. In the year 2006, 79% of the global final energy consumption came from fossil fuel, 3% from nuclear power and 18% from renewable resources (REN21, 2008). This may refer to the high capital costs required to explore these resources. Examples of natural energy resources include: winds, solar power, bio-fuels, geothermal resources and maritime resources.

It is important to consider the human effect on the natural resources. Wrong actions may result in problems that, on the long run, may prevent their possible use. Accordingly, care should be taken while exploring these resources. This includes different aspects: invented technologies to suit each type of these resources, environmental assessment of the resource in order to assure that the surrounding ecosystem is maintained safe before and after the energy extraction (generation) process and finally to have strong economical studies for each exploited resource in order to get the optimum benefit from it and to provide the final product to the customer with an appropriate cost.

Sources

Creswell, L., Wigg, R.T. and Buchdahl, J., 2002. Energy: Fact Sheet Series for Key Stage 4 and A-level. Atmosphere, Climate and Environment (ACE), Information Program, Manchester Metropolitan University, 30p. http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/Resources/Fact_Sheets/Key_Stage_4/Energy/pdf/Energy.pdf

REN21, 2008. Renewables 2007: Global Status Report. Paris: REN21 Secretariat and Washington DC: Worldwatch Institute, 51p.