Why Do Renewable Resources Matter for Sustainability and Security?
- Human societies rely on resources (materials and energy sources) to meet needs such as transport, heating, manufacturing, and food production.
- One resource modern economies heavily rely on is crude oil (a fossil fuel formed over millions of years from decomposed organisms such as plankton and algae).
- Oil is refined into petrol (gasoline), diesel, and jet fuel, and also provides valuable by-products used to make plastics, chemicals, lubricants, waxes, pesticides, and fertilizers.
- This reliance creates two major issues:
- Sustainability: Fossil fuels are finite and their extraction and use create environmental pressures.
- Security: Resources are unevenly distributed, so countries can become vulnerable to supply disruptions, political pressure, and price volatility.
Definition
Renewable resource
An energy resource that is replenished naturally at a rate comparable to human use (for example, sunlight, wind, flowing water, sustainably replanted biomass).
Hint
- People often talk about renewable energy (solar, wind, tidal, hydro) rather than renewable "resources."
- Our focus here is on energy resources (the broad category), which covers things like timber, fish, stocks, cotton etc.
- The goal of the two also differ:
- Renewable resources is about regeneration, managing to not use up.
- Renewable energy is about decarbonization, replacing finite fossil fuels.
How Do Fossil Fuels Differ To Renewable Resources?
- Fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) are non-renewable because they take millions of years to form.
- Once extracted and burned, they cannot be replaced within a human lifetime. In contrast, renewable resources are replenished continuously or cyclically.
- This difference shapes real-world decisions in geography, economics, and politics:
- Energy policy (what a country invests in)
- Economic development (jobs, trade, export dependence)
- Environmental impact (pollution, land and water change)
- Geopolitics (alliances, conflict risks, and price shocks)
Analogy
- Fossil fuels are like spending a one-time inheritance: you can spend it quickly, but once it's gone, it's gone.
- Renewable resources are more like a salary: it keeps arriving, but you still need systems (technology, infrastructure, management) to use it effectively.
What Are the Major Renewable Energy Resources and How Do They Work?
- Renewable energy technologies convert natural flows (sunlight, moving air, moving water) into electricity or heat.
- Key technologies include solar, wind, tidal, hydroelectric, and (often discussed alongside renewables) nuclear.
Solar Power
- Solar power uses energy from sunlight.
- The most common technology is photovoltaic (PV) panels, which convert light into electricity.
- Solar can also be used as solar thermal, capturing heat for hot water or to generate steam.
- Solar output depends on factors such as:
- Latitude and seasonal day length
- Cloud cover and atmospheric conditions
- Space (rooftops, fields, desert sites)
Definition
Photovoltaic (PV)
A technology that converts sunlight directly into electrical energy using semiconductor materials.
Tip
- When evaluating solar in a place, separate:
- (1) how much sunlight is available across the year, and
- (2) whether the electricity grid can balance supply when sunlight changes through the day or seasons.
Wind Power
- Wind power uses turbines turned by wind to drive generators.
- Wind farms can be built onshore (often cheaper) or offshore (often windier and more consistent, but more expensive to build and maintain).
- Wind power depends on:
- Wind speed and consistency
- Suitable sites (coasts, plains, mountain passes)
- Grid access (transmission lines and local demand)
Common Mistake
- A common misconception is that wind power "doesn't work" because wind is variable.
- In practice, variability is managed by using multiple sites, better forecasting, storage, and a mix of energy sources.
Tidal Power
- Tidal power uses the rise and fall of sea levels (and tidal currents) to generate electricity.
- Two common approaches are:
- Tidal barrages, which work like a dam across an estuary and channel water through turbines.
- Tidal stream turbines, which are underwater turbines placed in fast tidal currents.
- A key advantage is that tides are highly predictable, but suitable locations are limited and impacts on estuary ecosystems can be significant.
Hydroelectric Power
- Although often treated separately in case studies, hydroelectric power is one of the world's largest renewable sources.
- It generates electricity by releasing stored water through turbines.
- Hydroelectric power can provide reliable electricity and energy storage (via reservoirs), but large dams can also:
- Displace communities
- Change habitats and river ecosystems
- Create conflict over water access
Note
- Other renewable resources include biomass (using organic matter for fuel) and geothermal energy (using heat from within the Earth).
- Biomass is particularly significant in developing nations for heating and cooking, though it raises questions about deforestation and land use ("food versus fuel").
- Geothermal provides consistent energy but is limited to specific geological regions.
Why Is Nuclear Often Discussed Alongside Renewables?
Definition
Nuclear Power
Electricity generated using energy released from nuclear reactions (typically fission), producing heat that makes steam to drive turbines.
- Nuclear power is often grouped with renewables even though it's not renewable.
- This is mainly because it's a low-carbon energy source that produces very low greenhouse gas emissions during operation.
- Additionally, it's very efficient, meaning a very small quantity of fuel can produce a very large amount of energy.
- Nuclear can reduce reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation, but it raises distinct sustainability and security questions:
- Managing radioactive waste over very long timescales
- Accident risk (low probability but high impact)
- High upfront costs and long construction times
- Security concerns related to nuclear materials
Hint
- You can think of nuclear as a "climate compromise": it's currently the only source that offers the high output and reliability of fossil fuels without the carbon.
- The nuance here is the trade-off between a global, immediate threat (climate change) for a localized, long-term responsibility (waste).
What Are The Advantages and Disadvantages Of Renewable Resources?
- Strengths:
- Improve energy security by reducing dependence on imports
- Reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (compared with fossil fuels)
- Create new industries and jobs (manufacturing, installation, maintenance)
- Support local development (for example, land leasing for wind turbines)
- Weaknesses:
- Intermittency (solar and wind vary over time)
- Land use and landscape impacts
- Significant upfront investment and grid upgrades
- Local environmental impacts in specific sites (tidal barrages, hydro dams)
What's The Relationship Between Renewable Resources, Oil Dependence, and Global Inequality?
- Oil has shaped global events and development, but dependence can bring both benefits and harms.
- Countries that export oil may gain:
- Government revenue (taxes, royalties)
- Foreign exchange earnings
- Investment in infrastructure
- But over-reliance can also create:
- Exposure to volatile oil prices
- An economy dominated by one sector (weakening other industries)
- Environmental damage near extraction
- Social conflict over who benefits
Note
- Because sunlight and wind are more widely distributed than oil reserves, renewables can potentially reduce inequalities in access to energy.
- However, inequalities can remain (or new ones can appear) if technology and finance are concentrated in richer countries, or if communities near projects do not share the benefits.
Which Countries Use Renewable and Alternative Energy Sources?
- It's important to know and identify in your writing countries where solar, wind, tidal, and nuclear are used:
- Solar: sunny regions (parts of North Africa, the Middle East, Australia, southern Europe, the USA, India)
- Wind: windy coasts and plains (parts of northern Europe, China, the USA, and elsewhere)
- Tidal: coastlines with large tidal ranges or strong currents (selected sites in Western Europe, East Asia, and North America)
- Nuclear: countries with large industrial capacity and long-term investment planning (many in Europe and East Asia, plus North America)
Tip
Understand that countries almost always choose to develop and use the renewable energy source that is most readily available to them.
How Can You Link The Renewable Resources To The Sustainable Development Goals?
- Connecting sustainability to action is crucial, including links to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Renewable resources connect strongly to:
- SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
- SDG 13 (Climate Action)
- SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure)
- SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)
- Action is possible at different scales:
- Individual: reduce energy demand, choose low-carbon transport where possible
- School/community: energy audits, awareness campaigns, proposals for solar on buildings
- National: debates about subsidies, grid investment, and long-term energy planning
Example
- A city that installs rooftop solar on public buildings can cut electricity costs over time and reduce emissions.
- To make it sustainable, it must plan for maintenance, manage upfront funding, and ensure benefits reach all communities, not only wealthy neighborhoods.
Self review
- Define "renewable resource" and give two examples.
- Why are fossil fuels described as non-renewable?
- Choose one renewable energy source (solar, wind, tidal, hydro) and outline one advantage and one disadvantage.
- Explain why nuclear is sometimes grouped with renewables, and why that isn't strictly correct.
