What are Renewable Sources?

Renewable Resource Definition

• Renewable resources are replaceable without any danger of extinction, harming the environment or becoming too expensive to retrieve. In other words, the renewable resources are replenished and reused --- sometimes in a different form. Unlike nonrenewable resources that can't be used again, renewable resources are maintained in two ways. For instance, geothermal, which is energy that comes from the Earth's internal heat, must be managed to avoid overusing it. The second way to maintain renewable resources is through the natural life cycle of the renewable resource. An example of this type of management is animals such as pigs and cows that have offspring.

Type of Renewable Resource: Energy

• Energy created from the sun is a renewable resource that can be harvested in different ways. Solar energy, for example, is generated from the sunlight through solar panels to heat, cool and provide electricity to buildings. Wind is another renewable resource. Equipment such as wind turbines and windmills help capture the wind to turn it into energy.

Type of Renewable Resources: Agricultural

• Another type of renewable resource is agricultural products. Agricultural products are considered renewable in two ways. Forest products are one example of an agricultural product. Lumber, paper and plywood are just some of the things made from forest products. Another way agricultural products are considered renewable is the techniques used to obtain products like chemicals, biofuels and food. When obtained in ways that minimize the damage done to the environment, the agricultural products are considered renewable.

Renewable Resource Considerations

• Some natural resources are considered both renewable and nonrenewable resources. Renewable resources such as timber and water --- which are renewable --- can become nonrenewable if they are used at an inappropriate rate -- for example, if timber is cut down at a faster rate than the environment can replace it. Another example is water. The ocean can yield the renewable source of thermal energy from the sun and mechanical energy from the movement of the waves and tides, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. However, water removed from pore spaces, according to the website Absolute Astronomy, may cause subsidence, which means that the water can be used only once.