Natural resources
Definition: Something in nature that can be used e.g. water
Renewable Sources
Non-renewable Sources
My Opinion
Definition: Renewable energy sources are resources that can be used over and over again. They are non-finite, which means they do not run out.
Examples
Solar energy
Wind energy
Tidal energy
Hydroelectric power (HEP)
Biomass
Geothermal energy
Definition : Non-renewable energy resources are resources that cannot be replaced once they are used up. They are finite which means they will eventually run out.
Examples
Oil
Coal
Natural gas
Peat
Nuclear energy
Common Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Common Problems with renewables include: Expensive up-front cost, There are co2 emissions involved in producing these 'clean energy resources', The depletion of rare materials needed to produce them (especially solar and wind), they usually depend on specific circumstances and climates e.g. sunlight for solar and water for Tidal and HEP , Large tracts of land are required to be devoted to them, they often decimate the local wildlife e.g. Wind turbines and birds, HEP and fish
Common advantages of renewable resources are: They are non-finite therefore can be used repeatedly (The sources which they get them from are non-finite but the actual products aren't), They are restively clean, apart from the processes involved in making them they virtually release no emissions after that.
Common Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Common problems with non-renewable resources include: They are finite, therefore they will eventually run out depleting precious natural resources in the processes, they emit Co2, they are often relied by other by other countries resulting in one country having complete control on who receives it and the price.
Common advantage of Non-renewable sources include: They are a cheap and reliable means of producing large amounts of electricity that is reliable and does not depend on circumstances and climate e.g. you can take a car drive any time, the only things you need are fuel and a car, They are easily available and can be transported across large tracts of land, they are well more efficient than any of the most developed renewable sources In fact they are usually used to back up solar and wind when they can't meet production because they are unreliable.
I personally believe that there is no energy that is '100% clean' you can point all you want to the likes of solar and wind but the facts remain that the processes involved in the production of these sources emit Co2 and other greenhouse gases, so if you have to burn greenhouse gases as a means of producing large amounts of clean and reliable electricity then the only solution is Nuclear, it is the only one (apart form a select few of renewable sources that depend on a specific climates to produce clean electricity) that produces cheap, reliable and large amounts of electricity that doesn't eat into rare metals at an alarming rate.