Energy Resources

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When it comes to resources we have two kinds. We have nonrenewable and renewable resources. These resources can be good or bad for the use of our environment. We need to find new ways to support our environment before we run out of our nonrenewable resources.

Coal is a nonrenewable resource which means that it cannot easily be renewed. To create the resource coal it will take billions and billions of years. Coal is formed from dead plants in swamps and other such areas in the world. Before the plants had died they absorbed energy from the sun through photosynthesis. The energy is stored into the tissue of the plants. All of this is usually called “buried sunshine” because after energy and sunshine from the sun is stored in the plant it then dies and is then buried. When the plants and trees are buried in these swampy areas layers upon layers build up over the dead remains, this process forms a soggy material called Peat. As the Earth changes different minerals build up and mix with the remains. River and seas leave behind clay, sand and other materials which bury and mix with the Peat. Weight of different things squeeze the Peat and other substances together and temperatures begin to rise and fall which then changes the Peat material even more. This then creates coal.

How do we get the coal to produce energy? Well we mine it. There are two ways to mine coal. The first way to mine coal is Surface Mining. With Surface Mining we use power shovels, conveyers, large trucks to get it. We use these tools to reach coal and then carry it to its destination. Surface Mining is closer to the surface and is considered environmentally responsible. The other way to mine coal is underground mining which also has two categories: Room and Pil...

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