Have you ever asked yourself what happens to the electricity that lights up your room? Or how cars acquire the fuel that needs to get them running? All of this is based on energy resources taken by people from nature. Some of these resources are easily changed while others take millions of years to produce. That is why we refer to them as renewable resources and non-renewable resources.
In this post, we’re going to explain renewable and non-renewable resources to your kiddo in an easy and fun way. By the end, you can tell the difference, examples of each, and why saving energy is so important to our planet.
What Are Sustainable Resources?
Renewable resources for kids are resources which can be replaced or recycled at a fast rate. People can never really run out of these resources: nature constantly makes new resources available.
Examples of Renewable Energy Sources of Reserve:
- Solar Energy is available each day and we have an endless supply of it from the sun.
- Wind: wind is used to turn the blades of windmills and to generate electricity.
- Water (Hydropower): This is generated from the current that is created by the flow within dams and rivers.
- New Trees and plants are able to grow again
- Geothermal Energy: All the hidden energy inside the Earth is to be reused again and again.
These are all considered renewable energy sources because they are clean and green sources of energy and also because they aren’t easily depleted.
What Are Non-Renewable Natural Resources?
Non-renewable resources for kids are those natural resources that took millions of years to develop. And before anyone could be held as prisoner, forcibly taken by the enemy, they were gone for quite a long time. That’s why we need to be careful and not waste them.
Examples of Non-renewable resources:
- Coal: A black rock which is burned for energy to generate electricity.
- Oil (Petroleum): It is being used to make petrol, diesel, plastics etc.
- Natural Gas: The gas, located underground, is used for cooking, as well as to produce electrical power.
- Metals & Minerals: Formation of gold, silver, iron and copper takes millions of years.
These stationary supplies are not renewable resources because they cannot be replaced in a short period of time. If we over use it, we will run out of them.
Renewable vs Non-Renewable Resources – The Difference
We can use a simple analogy to make things understandable to the kids:
| Features | Renewable resources | Non renewable resources |
| Availability | Can be replaced quickly | Take millions of years to form |
| Examples | Sun,Wind, Water, Trees | Coal, Oil, natural gas, minerals |
| Pollution | Clean and Eco friendly | Cause pollution when used |
| Future use | Always available if cared for | May run out if overused |
When we talk of renewable vs non-renewable resources one can only conclude that the former is limitless whereas the latter will one day recede.
Why Do Children Have To Learn about Renewable Resources?
Children of today are politicians and the future custodians of the Earth. It is significant to know about energy resources of kids since:
- Renewable energy is more healthy and clean to the environment.
- The non-renewable sources of energy also contaminate the atmosphere and lead to climate change.
- Utilization of renewable resources has a positive impact when it comes to saving our planet to the generations to come.
When kids recognize the difference, they are able to make little modifications such as conserve electricity, use less plastic, and help power an eco-friendly energy choice.
Fun Examples for Kids
- Saves electricity (coal or natural gas) used for generating electricity.
- Planting Trees: Used to grow more biological resources like trees
- Using Solar Panels For Schools: A Cool Way to Use Renewable Elements
- Conserve petrol: petrol is a non-renewable resource and uses a bicycle rather than an automobile.
Conclusion
This is what you know about renewable and non-renewable resources. The sun and wind are the clean and inexhaustible renewable resources that can be used without the fear that they may become the depleted resources that will eventually affect our environment adversely. By finding out the lowdown on energy resources about kids you can begin making smart choices to save our planet.
Children, remember – and each small thing you do to conserve electricity or plant a tree makes you a hero to Mother Earth!
FAQs:
Q1. The basic explanation of what renewable resources are to kids?
Ans: Renewable resources are natural resources like the sun, water, and wind that can never be exhausted because you can use them time and again in the same supply.
Q2. Things that the kids should know about non renewable resources
Ans: Things such as coal, oil, petrol which take millions of years to form are referred to as non-renewable materials and which end up in supply when we use it.
Q3. What does it mean by a renewable resource?
Ans: The great sources of renewable energy include solar energy, wind, water, which can be found in trees and plants, and geothermal energy.
Q4. What are such examples of non-renewable resources?
Ans: The big ones are coal, oil, natural gas and minerals – gold, silver and iron.
Q5. What causes renewable resources to be important?
Ans: They are clean and green, and will never be exhausted like non-renewable resources, which pollute and have limited supply.
Q6. Can kids help save resources?
Ans: Yes! Children can use the saved energy to switch off lights, limit waste, plant trees and learn more about renewable energy.