Introduction
Our Mother Earth offers humanity a vast array of resources and energy without receiving anything in return. Over years, months, or even weeks, the Earth gradually restored these resources. Air, water, food resources, minerals, raw materials, and many more things that aren't even listed are just a few examples of these resources. The existence of the human population on Earth is directly attributable to the existence of these resources.
The majority of the Earth's resources, such as coal and petroleum, did not exist until millions of years had passed. Even before the formation of the world, there were already certain resources available, such as sunshine. Despite this, every one of us is reliant on these resources in one way or another. These resources are known as natural resources, and they play an extremely significant role in maintaining life on Earth. The term "renewable resources" refers to those that replenish throughout time, whereas "non-renewable resources" refers to those that do not.
Renewable Energy vs Non-Renewable Energy
The main difference between renewable and non-renewable sources is that renewable energy sources may be continually replenished by nature itself. Non-renewable energy sources, on the other hand, cannot. It is also believed that they are existent in a complete or excess form and constitute the purest energy source.
On the other hand, in contrast, the non-renewable energy sources cannot be replaced or refilled by nature on their own. These sources of energy are said to be non-renewable. These types of energy are restricted in nature and do not come from the most environmentally friendly sources.
The term "renewable energy" refers to any form of power that comes from a natural environment and may be used by people without incurring extra expenses. To put it another way, there is no discrimination of any kind.
These are the most environmentally friendly sources of energy, and they can be renewed whenever they are depleted. Examples of this include wind, air, water, sunshine, tidal energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, etc. Other examples are geothermal energy and solar energy.
The term "renewable energy" refers to any power that originates from materials or processes that can perpetually produce fresh supplies. Solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, and hydroelectric power are the many forms of energy that fall under this category.
In common parlance, renewable sources are synonymous with green energy and clean energy; nonetheless, there are some significant distinctions among these three energy categories. Whereas renewable sources are defined as those that can be recycled, clean energy sources are defined as those that do not emit pollutants like carbon dioxide, and green energy sources are defined as those that are derived from natural sources.
Although there is much overlap between these categories of energy, not all forms of renewable energy are genuinely completely clean or green. Some hydropower sources, for instance, are harmful to natural environments and contribute to deforestation.
Non-renewable energy is a source of energy that may be found in nature and is accessible to the human population. However, the amount of these resources are finite, and they can be depleted if they are used to their full capacity. This kind of energy is not considered to be renewable.
Because it took nature millions of years to regenerate or refill these resources, it is imperative that they be used in an environmentally responsible manner.
Coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy are examples of energy sources that do not replenish themselves naturally. As soon as these resources are used up, there is no way that they can be recreated. This presents a significant challenge for civilization since most of our energy requirements are now met by these resources.
Examples of resources that do not replenish themselves naturally include fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil. Although it takes millennia for fresh supplies to originate, humans continue to deplete the existing stockpiles of these compounds.
Difference Between Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy in Tabular Form
| Parameters of Comparison | Renewable Energy | Non-Renewable Energy |
| Definition | When they are depleted, the earth's energy reserves are automatically restored. | Energy supplies that are not constantly being replenished anytime they are depleted. |
| Depletion | There is no risk of depletion, and it may be eaten. | Having been depleted as a result of excessive consumption |
| Impact on Environment | Small impact on the carbon cycle | Large amount of carbon footprint |
| Area Required | Demand for a substantial amount of space | Demand for a limited amount of space |
| Upfront Cost | It is necessary to have a substantial amount of money all at once. | Low needed amount of financial outlay |
| Infrastructure | High | Low |
| Example | Energy that comes from the sun, the wind, the air, the water, the plants, tidal energy, and geothermal energy | Minerals, ores, fossil fuels such - coal, petroleum |
| Consumption | Non-exhaustible | Exhaustible |
| Economically Use | It cannot be used in an economically viable manner. | It has the potential for economical application and is also the need of the moment. |
What is Renewable Energy?
The term "renewable energy" refers to energy that comes from sources like the sun or the wind that are constantly being refilled. This encompasses the sun's rays, the heat generated by geothermal activity, wind, tides, water, and a variety of kinds of biomass. This energy can never be depleted since it is always being replenished.
An energy source that is considered an alternative to the use of fossil fuels is referred to as alternative energy. In general, it refers to forms of energy that are not conventional and have a little negative influence on the environment. According to several different sources, the word "alternative" is used to contrast "fossil fuels." According to most definitions, alternative energy does not negatively affect the environment. This is a key difference between alternative energy and renewable energy, which may or may not substantially impact the environment.
Renewable energy refers to any energy source that may be regenerated or restored anytime there is a need for it, thanks to the Earth's natural processes. The most natural and unadulterated kind of power that can be obtained is the renewable energy that may be used in places where it can be easily accessed. Sunlight, water, air, wind, biomass, tidal energy, geothermal energy, and several other forms of energy may all be considered forms of renewable energy.
The use of renewable energy sources has the benefit of providing readily available energy, can be obtained in big amounts, and does not cost anybody anything. They leave a smaller carbon imprint, are better for the environment, and are greener as a result of the very low amount of carbon that this energy creates. Along with providing tens of thousands of people with employment opportunities, the production and infrastructure also contribute to a decrease in the amount of money spent on power bills.
The use of renewable energy sources has a few drawbacks, one of which is that it demands a significant financial investment in addition to a sizable amount of land. Solar power, for example, is only useful during the daylight and during the summer months; it cannot be utilised when it is cloudy, cold, or at night.
What is Non-Renewable Energy?
There are two types of energy in the natural world: those that can be replenished indefinitely and those that cannot. We refer to the former as renewable energy, and the latter as non-renewable. It is our duty to guarantee that both renewable and non-renewable sources of energy are used in an appropriate manner. Energy sources that do not replenish themselves naturally are considered finite resources that will, at some point in the future, be depleted. A source of energy is considered to be non-renewable if it does not replenish itself at a pace that allows for its commercial extraction to be maintained across timescales that are important to humans.
The energy that comes from fossil fuels, such as coal, crude oil, natural gas, and uranium, is considered to be non-renewable energy. To be acceptable for human consumption, non-renewable energy must first be processed by humans, in contrast to renewable sources of energy. Carbon is the most abundant component of fossil fuels. It is thought that fossil fuels were produced more than 300 million years ago, during a time when the Earth's geography seemed much different from what it does now.
It is referred to as non-renewable energy when the energy source is not capable of being refilled or restored anytime it is necessary to do so. It takes millions and thousands of years for the world to organically recover from the use of energy that is not renewable. Minerals, ores, coal, petroleum, diesel, nuclear energy, and other forms of energy are all examples of non-renewable sources of energy.
The usage of energy sources that do not replenish themselves has the benefit of being more reasonably priced and less expensive overall. Even a very modest quantity of nuclear energy may provide a significant amount of usable energy. Additionally, converting energy from one form to another is less expensive.
Using energy that does not replenish itself naturally has the drawback of having a relatively low potential supply. Since the high level of carbon emissions produced, this kind of energy is not regarded as good for the environment because it is not a pure power source.
Main Differences Between Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy in Points
- Non-renewable energy is a source of energy that cannot be supplied by nature whenever it is needed since it takes over millions of years to be restored. On the other hand, renewable energy is a source of energy replenished by nature itself whenever required.
- Non-renewable energy is a source that, if used in regular form, may deplete them completely, and there will be nothing left over for future generations. On the other hand, renewable energy is a source that has been used regularly and can never vanish or be finished. Renewable energy is a source that is used regularly and can never vanish or be finished.
- The carbon emission caused by renewable energy sources is lower, so they are considered the cleanest forms of energy. On the other hand, the carbon emission caused by non-renewable energy sources is very high, resulting in a larger carbon footprint. This is why non-renewable energy sources are considered an impure form of energy.
- In comparison, the production of non-renewable energy does not call for a significant amount of land, while the production of energy from renewable sources does demand a large area of land.
- The initial investment required for producing renewable energy sources is quite high, in contrast to the production of non-renewable energy resources, which only requires a modest amount of money to be required or invested. This difference in the amount of money required or invested makes the production of renewable energy sources more expensive.
- The costs associated with the infrastructure needed to produce energy from renewable sources are high, but the costs associated with infrastructure needed to produce energy from non-renewable sources are cheap.
- The following are examples of renewable energy sources: sunshine, wind, air, water, heat, geothermal energy, tidal energy, etc. In contrast, some examples of non-renewable energy sources include minerals, ores, and fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, diesel, etc.
- It is stated that renewable energy sources will never run out, whereas non-renewable energy sources are considered a source of energy that will run out at some point in the future.
- The use of renewable energy sources is not cost-effective. On the other hand, the use of non-renewable energy sources must be done in a way that is both environmentally responsible and financially viable to meet the present moment's requirements.
Conclusion
The Earth is the only known living planet that satisfies all of the prerequisite conditions for the continued existence of a human population. It gives practically everything that could be needed for life to exist, including the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the shelter that lives in, and many other things. And in exchange, it never asked for anything, which is the most unselfish act. However, despite this, people continue to overexploit the energy and resources that are available to them.
As a result of overexploitation and overuse, the quantity and quality of the resources are deteriorating over the next few years, making it very necessary to sustain energy resources. In addition, if it is intended for it to continue at the same rate, it should not come as a surprise when all of these resources are completely depleted.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148116306930
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12667-011-0037-6
