It is not just the air that we breathe which gets polluted. They are used as input factors for economic activities or as emission sinks. According to "The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy" by Dan Chiras, the use of fossil fuels over available renewable resources is … Non-renewable energy resources are available in limited supplies, usually because they take a long time to replenish. The United States uses and produces many different types and sources of energy, which can be grouped into general categories such as primary and secondary, renewable and nonrenewable, and fossil fuels.. Primary energy sources include fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, and coal), nuclear energy, and renewable sources of energy. Indeed, natural gas emits a lot less carbon dioxide, specifically 50 to 60 percent less compared to coal, and it also emits 15 to 20 percent fewer heat-trapping gases compared to gasoline when used to power a vehicle [3]. These are worth exploring and this article aims to do exactly that with a focus on the harmful effects of non-renewable energy resources on our environment. Oil spills are extremely damaging to nearby shores and ecosystems. Energy is cost-effective and easier to produce and use. Does the policy reduce or increase use of non-renewable resources? If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. Description. "Looking back and preparing for the future", by Joanne Vinke-de Kruijf, TIAS. There is very clear evidence illustrating the impact of surface mining both in the short and long-term. It is a non-renewable resource because of its cosmic origin. It is not just about direct impacts of rising temperatures and changing weather patterns as floods or dry seasons proliferate that impact human livelihoods. Energy Resources Coal, one of humankind’s earliest fuel sources, is still used today to generate electricity. A nonrenewable resource on the other hand once it is used there is no bringing it back like oil it takes too much time to be naturally made so when we use all the oil we have on the earth there will be no more oil for a very long time. The case of nuclear energy is of particular relevant here as both the extraction of uranium and waste disposal create some very critical issues for which no long-term solution has been found due to the radioactive nature of the ore being mined. Fossil fuel is the energy source that has gone through immense heat and pressure after being buried down deep beneath the Earth’s surface for millions of years. Different types of non-renewable energy fuels emit different levels of greenhouse gases. This text is for information only and is not designed to interpret or replace any reference documents. Unsurprisingly, the use of non-renewable sources of energy has a variety of harmful impacts on our environment either due to the way they are extracted and processed, or in terms of how they are used and thereafter disposed of. Mudgal et al., 2012: Preparatory study for the review of the thematic strategy on the sustainable use of natural resources. Preparatory study for the review of the thematic strategy on the sustainable use of natural resources. Greentumble is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Similarly devastating effects on both nature and humans were seen as a result of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl.