Define renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. List and describe types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Discuss the role of renewable energy sources in the future. Energy from renewable sources can be replaced in a short time period. Non-renewable energy sources, however, require millions of years to replace.
Fossil fuels is another term for nonrenewable energy sources.
For the past several decades, there has been a concern that the world may be running out of fossil fuels. Once these fuels are depleted, they will take millions of years to replace. This concern has sparked efforts to find energy sources that are easily renewable or virtually inexhaustible. Many of these renewable energy sources are also less toxic to the environment. The basic types of renewable energy under study use the sun, wind, water, or plant and animal materials to produce energy.