MYP Individuals & Societies Non-renewable Resources Notes

What Makes Non-Renewable Resources Important And Controversial?

1. Non-renewable resources provide much of the world's energy, and they supply raw materials for industry, transport, agriculture, and everyday products.
2. At the same time, they are finite, unevenly distributed, and often linked to environmental damage, political tension, and economic instability.

How Long Does It Take For Fossil Fuels To Form?

1. They take millions of years to form in the deep underground from the decomposition of organisms such as plankton and algae.
2. Over very long time periods, heat and geological pressure transform this organic matter into oil and gas.
3. Because this process takes so long, using oil today depletes a stock that will not be replaced within human lifetimes.

Refining turns crude oil into multiple valuable products

1. Crude oil is rarely used directly, instead, it's processed in a refinery to separate and transform it into different fractions (products): petrol (gasoline), diesel, and jet fuel, plus heating oils such as kerosene.
2. A major reason the world became so reliant on oil is that refining produces fuels that are energy-dense, easy to transport, and suitable for engines.
3. Many important by-products also come from refining, including materials used to make plastics and chemicals, and products such as lubricants, waxes, tars, pesticides, and fertilizers.

How Does Uneven Distribution Create Resource Security Issues?