Section outline

  • General

    Collapse all Expand all

  • 资源资源资源 资源资源资源 资源资源 资源资源

    What you will learn
    ::你会学到什么

    • Types of natural resources : renewable and nonrenewable
      ::自然资源类型类型:可再生和不可再生

    A vintage gas pump marked 'GAS' and 'REGULAR,' representing oil as a nonrenewable resource.

    Renewable or nonrenewable, what's the difference?
    ::可再生的或不可再生的,有什么区别?

    That's like asking the difference between having an endless supply and having a limited supply. Will this planet eventually run out of oil? Probably. So oil is a .
    ::这就像问 石油的无尽供应和有限的供应之间的差别。 这个星球最终会用光石油吗?也许。所以石油是一个。

    Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
    ::可再生和不可再生资源

    A natural resource is something supplied by nature that helps support life. When you think of natural resources, you may think of minerals and fossil fuels . However, and the services they provide are also natural resources. is a natural resource as well.
    ::自然资源是自然提供的,有助于维持生命。当你想到自然资源时,你可能会想到矿物和化石燃料。然而,它们提供的服务也是自然资源。它们也是自然资源。

    Renewable Resources
    ::可再生能源

    can be replenished by natural processes as quickly as humans use them. Examples include sunlight and wind. They are in no danger of being used up (see Figure ). Metals and other minerals are renewable too. They are not destroyed when they are used and can be recycled.
    ::可以通过自然过程来补充,只要人类使用这些过程,就能够迅速加以补充,例如阳光和风能,它们不会被耗尽(见图 )。金属和其他矿物也是可再生的,在使用时不会被销毁,而且可以回收。

    Wind turbines in a field, showcasing a renewable energy source harnessing wind.
    Wind is a renewable resource. Wind turbines like this one harness just a tiny fraction of wind energy.

    Living things are considered to be renewable. This is because they can reproduce to replace themselves. However, they can be over-used or misused to the point of extinction . To be truly renewable, they must be used sustainably. Sustainable use is the use of resources in a way that meets the needs of the present and also preserves the resources for future generations.  
    ::生命被认为是可再生的,这是因为它们可以繁殖来取代自己,但是它们可能被过度使用或滥用到灭绝的地步,要真正可再生,它们必须可持续地使用,可持续使用资源的方式是满足当代需要和为后代保护资源。

     

     

    Nonrenewable Resources
    ::不可再生资源

    Nonrenewable resources are natural resources that exist in fixed amounts and can be used up. Examples include fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas. These fuels formed from the remains of plants over hundreds of millions of years. We are using them up far faster than they could ever be replaced. At current rates of use, petroleum will be used up in just a few decades and coal in less than 300 years. Nuclear power is also considered to be a nonrenewable resource because it uses up uranium, which will sooner or later run out. It also produces harmful wastes that are difficult to dispose of safely.
    ::不可再生资源是固定数量的自然资源,可以加以利用,例如石油、煤炭和天然气等化石燃料,这些燃料来自数亿年多的植物残渣,我们使用这些燃料的速度远远快于更换的速度,按照目前的使用速度,石油将在短短几十年内用完,煤炭将在不到300年的时间内用完,核能也被认为是不可再生资源,因为它使用铀,铀迟早会用完,还会产生难以安全处置的有害废物。

    • Fuel pumps with yellow and green nozzles at a gas station, representing nonrenewable resources.
    • A pile of coal pieces, representing a nonrenewable resource used in energy production.
    • A landscape with a power plant, cooling towers, and barrels marked with radiation symbols.
    Examples of nonrenewable resources include fossil fuels and nuclear power. Fossil fuel gasoline is made from crude oil. The crude oil pumped out of the ground is a black liquid called petroleum, which is a nonrenewable resource.

     

     

    Turning Trash Into Treasure
    ::将垃圾垃圾变成宝藏

    Scientists at the Massachusetts of Technology are turning trash into coal, which can readily be used to heat homes and cook food in developing countries. This coal burns cleaner than that from fossil fuels. It also save a tremendous amount of energy .     
    ::马萨诸塞州科技科技科学工作者正在将垃圾变成煤炭,而煤炭可以很容易地用于发展中国家家庭取暖和烹饪食品。 煤炭比化石燃料更清洁,可以节省大量能源。

     

     

    Summary
    ::摘要

    • Renewable resources can be replaced by natural processes as quickly as humans use them. Examples include sunlight and wind.
      ::可再生资源可以被自然过程所取代,只要人类使用这些自然过程的速度很快,例如阳光和风能。
    • Nonrenewable resources exist in fixed amounts. They can be used up. Examples include fossil fuels such as coal.
      ::不可再生资源以固定数量存在,可加以利用,例如煤等化石燃料。

    Review
    ::回顾

    1. Define natural resource. Give an example.
      ::定义自然资源。举个例子。
    2. Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources and give examples.
      ::区分可再生和不可再生资源并举例。
    3. Infer factors that determine whether a natural resource is renewable or nonrenewable.
      ::据以确定自然资源是可再生的还是不可再生的推论因素。