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Renewable Resources
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- Water: Freshwater from rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers is essential for drinking, agriculture, industry, and hydropower generation.
- Air: While not traditionally considered a natural resource, clean air is crucial for human health, agriculture, and industrial processes.
- Soil: Fertile soil is vital for agriculture and supports the growth of crops and forests.
- Biomass: Biomass resources include plants, trees, and organic matter that can be used for energy production, such as wood, crop residues, and biofuels.
- Wind Energy: Wind is harnessed to generate electricity through wind turbines, providing a renewable energy source.
- Solar Energy: Solar panels capture energy from the sun to generate electricity and heat for various applications.
- Geothermal Energy: Geothermal resources utilize heat from the Earth’s interior for electricity generation and heating.
- Tidal and Wave Energy: These renewable resources harness the movement of tides and ocean waves to generate electricity.
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Non-renewable resources
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- Fossil Fuels: These include coal, oil, and natural gas, which are burned for electricity generation, transportation, and industrial processes.
- Minerals and Metals: These resources encompass a wide range of elements, including iron ore, copper, gold, and rare earth metals, used in manufacturing, construction, and electronics.
- Non-Metallic Minerals: This category includes resources like limestone, gypsum, and salt, used in construction, agriculture, and industry.
- Nuclear Fuels: Uranium and thorium are used in nuclear reactors to generate electricity.
- Fossil Water: Non-renewable groundwater resources can become depleted if over-extracted.
- Fossilized Carbon: Peat, a precursor to coal, is a type of fossilized carbon used in some regions for heating and cooking.
- Phosphates: Used in agriculture for fertilizers, phosphates are sourced from phosphate rock.
- Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs): These include resources like ethane, propane, and butane, which are used as feedstocks in petrochemical industries.
- Rare Earth Elements: These are essential for various technologies, including electronics and renewable energy systems.
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