Difference Between Renewable And Non-Renewable Resources

The difference between Renewable and Non-Renewable resources is that the former can be replenished whereas the latter cannot. Renewable and Non-Renewable sources are the subtypes of Natural Resources. Natural resources are those that were formed in nature millions of years ago. Some resources of energy, for example, Sunlight existed even before the Earth was formed. Based on availability, natural resources are classified as renewable or non-renewable. Renewable sources can be renewed even after continuous utilization. Non-renewable cannot be renewed after continuous utilization.

Difference Between Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources 

The following points highlight the difference between Renewable and Non-Renewable resources:

Characteristics	Renewable Resources	Non-Renewable Resources
Definition	Natural resources that can be replenished in a human timescale.	Natural resources that cannot be replenished in a human timescale
Formation	Formed through natural processes, such as the Sun’s energy and wind, that can be replenished quickly	Formed through slow geological processes, such as the fossilization of plants and animals, that cannot be duplicated in a human timescale
Examples	Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Hydro Energy, Geothermal Energy, Bioenergy	Coal, Oil, Natural gas, Iron, Copper,  Uranium
Supply	Unlimited supply as long as the natural processes do not get disrupted	Limited Supply, Cannot be Replenished
Environmental Impacts	Generally low, as long as they are managed sustainably	Can be significant, including Air Pollution and Water Pollution, Greenhouse gas emissions, Deforestation, and Soil erosion.
Energy Intensity	Low, as they are formed through natural processes	High, as significant energy is required to extract and process them
Costs	Very expensive	Cheap as compared to renewable resources but cost can increase over time if the resources become scarce
Economic Significance	Their demand is increasing with time	Already a huge demand as non-renewable resources provide energy and raw materials
Long-term Sustainability	High	Low

What are Renewable Resources?

Renewable Resources are a type of Natural Resources that are capable of renewing themselves over a specific period of time which ma be weeks, months or years. It is better to use Renewable resources because they can be used repeatedly. These sources are environment friendly, clean and can be sustained for a long period of time. Some examples of renewable resources are:

• Solar Energy
• Wind Energy
• Hydropower
• Geothermal Energy
• Tidal Energy

To help the future generations and to make our environment safe, it is safe to use renewable resources of energy more. These are also known as Non- Conventional Sources of Energy. To know more, please refer to the article ‘Non-Conventional Sources of Energy‘.

What are Non-Renewable Resources?

Non-Renewable resource is a type of natural resource that cannot be renegerated once utilised. Few examples of non-renewable resources are coal, oil, petroleum, natural gas, minerals such as iron and copper and nuclear fuel like uranium. Coal, oil, and petroleum are examples of Fossil fuels which are formed after carbonisation of dead plants and animal remains. These take millions of years to be formed and hence are categorised as non-renewable.

A lot of industries are dependent on these Non-renewable resources and hence, these have become an essential part of our daily lives. Most cars are driven by petrol, a lot of manufacturing industries use coal as their source of power. But the byproducts of their usage causes damage to the environment. Since renewable resources are expensive, not everyone can opt for them. Measures need to be taken by the government to protect the environment and to ensure that the future generations get their share of natural resources.

FAQs on Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources

1. Which Country uses the Most Non-renewable resources?

The highest consumption of Non-renewable sources occurs in China utilizing 159.39 exajoules as found in the year 2022. This is then followed by United States which show a high usage of coal and pethroleum.

2. What are Renewable resources?

All those resources which cant be exhaust even after continuous utilization such resources are known as renewable resources. Example-Solar Energy.

3. Why do we Mostly use Non-renewable Energy Sources?

Non- renewable energy sources are cheaper as compared to renewable sources. Solar energy and Wind energy are examples of Renewable sources of energy but the cost of a windmill or a solar panel is very high as compared to Non-renewable sources like coal and petroleum.

4. What is the Cleanest Non-renewable Resource?

Natural gas is the most cleanest non-renewable resource of energy.

5. What are the Disadvantages of Non-renewable Resources?

There are multiple disadvantages of Non-renewable resources are :

1. They are in limited amount.
2. They pollute the environment.
3. The residual products are usually non-biodegradable.