With reference to a range of national energy strategies, discuss the costs and benefits of renewable and non-renewable energy resources

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Global Energy Resources

With reference to a range of national energy strategies, discuss the costs and benefits of renewable and non-renewable energy resources

Environmental resources are commonly divided into those considered to be renewable and non-renewable. Renewable resources are those which naturally regenerate with a human defined time span to provide new supplies of those resources. Non-renewable, such as minerals and land, have taken millions of years to form and therefore in human terms, are fixed in the supply available.

In reality, however the distinction is not as clear cut and resources are increasingly being classified in terms of degree of renewability within what Rees sees as a ‘use-renewability continuum’. At one extreme of the continuum are infinitely renewable resources, irrespective of how it is used by humans, e.g. solar energy and tidal power. At the other extreme are resources which, as they are used, cannot be replaced, e.g. fossil fuels. In between these two extremes are resources, the renewal of which depends on the rate at which they are used, how they are managed (including concern for the rate at which the biological ones, such as the soil and plants, regenerate (and the extent to which recycling or substitution of them can occur.

The continuation approach is helpful; it raises issues of rate of use and management of the environment, issues central to the current debate on sustainable development.

Along with the threat of exhaustion of valuable resources is an increasing concern for the environment. In extracting resources and using them, some irreparable damage is being done to the environment. Extraction of coal and minerals leaves scars on the landscape, while the processing and consumption of them leads to pollution in rivers, in coastal areas, on the land and in the atmosphere. Thus concern for proper resource management and conservation includes a careful monitoring of resource extraction and concern for the direct and indirect effects of resource use on the environment.

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A third issue is that of equity of distribution of the world’s usable resources. ‘It can be believed that (some) natural resources, the heritage of poor countries are being consumed by the rich countries, denying the poor any real hope for better living conditions’. Take-over of land by translational to exploit resources when the land has traditionally been the home of indigenous peoples, should be considered.

 It is important that economic needs are balanced against arguments for environmental conservation. However, the matter of equity of distribution is morally a clear cut issue if not readily attainable in practicable ...

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