INTRODUCTION: Natural resources are materials that support life and provide energy for
living beings and machines, sourced from the sun or Earth's natural processes within the
environment's atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.
WHERE DOES ENERGY COME FROM?
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Source of Materials for Living Things:
 Different spheres of the Earth provide essential materials for living
organisms.
 Sunlight is the only external source, crucial for life processes.
Role of Sunlight:
 Plants and algae (producers) utilize sunlight for photosynthesis to produce
food.
 Sunlight's energy is converted into chemical energy in plants, forming
various compounds like wood, starch, and oil.
Impact of Sunlight:
 Sunlight generates heat, influencing wind movement, waves, ocean
currents, and weather patterns.
 It dictates the climate in different regions and serves as a renewable energy
source for electricity generation.
Recyclability of Sunlight:
 While various resources supporting life can be recycled, sunlight is an
exception and cannot be recycled.
Energy Resources:
 The sun is the primary energy source for Earth, essential for sustaining life.
 Plants utilize solar energy through photosynthesis to produce food, a process also
seen in ancient plants that became fossil fuels.
 Earth's internal heat, stemming from radioactive elements and planetary
formation, can be utilized for electricity generation.
Nonrenewable Resources:
 Nonrenewable resources are finite substances that cannot be easily replaced or
regenerated within a short span.
Fossil Fuels:
 Formed from ancient plants and animals over millions of years, buried deep
within the Earth's layers.
 Intense heat, pressure, and chemical reactions transformed plant and animal
remains into hydrocarbons like coal, petroleum, and natural gas.
Coal:
 Solid fossil fuel, primarily composed of carbon, derived from fossilized dead
plants in oxygen-deprived swamps.
 Main source of global electricity generation with advantages including ample
supply and high net energy yield, but disadvantages such as land disturbance,
pollution, and emissions of CO2 and air pollutants.
Peat to Coal Development:
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Peat is an initial coal stage, consisting of decayed plant fibers, generating more
smoke than energy.
 Pressure transforms peat into lignite (brown coal) with low heat energy output.
 Further compression leads to bituminous coal, a sedimentary rock with impurities,
and then anthracite coal, nearly pure carbon and exceptionally hard.
Oil (Petroleum):
 Liquid fossil fuel formed from deceased sea-surface organisms, preserved under
layers of sediments over time.
 Refined oil yields gasoline, diesel, kerosene, used for fuel and various products
like plastics and fertilizers.
Advantages of Oil:
 Abundant supply for decades.
 High net energy yield, though declining.
 Minimal land disruption with an efficient distribution system.
Disadvantages of Oil:
 Water pollution risks from spills and leaks.
 Excludes environmental costs from market prices.
 Emission of CO2 and air pollutants upon burning.
 Susceptibility to international supply disruptions.
Natural Gas:
 Comprised mainly of methane, a hydrocarbon.
 Often found above oil deposits and used for cooking, heating, and power
generation.
 Advantages include ample supply, high net energy yield, and lower CO2
emissions than other fossil fuels.
 Disadvantages involve low net energy for liquefied natural gas, emissions upon
burning, and challenges in international transportation.
Nuclear Energy:
 Nuclear fission involves splitting an atom's nucleus to release nuclear energy,
primarily in the form of heat.
 Heat from nuclear reactions converts water into steam, driving turbines to
generate electricity.
 Advantages: Comparable cost to coal, minimal greenhouse gas emissions,
efficient energy production, small waste generation, and reliability.
 Disadvantage: Management of radioactive waste poses significant risks and
requires long-term secure storage.
Renewable Resources:
 Solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and biomass energy sources are continually
available unlike dwindling fossil fuels.
Solar Energy:
 Sunlight converted into electricity using solar cells made of silicon layers.
 Advantages: Moderate environmental impact, no direct emissions, lower cost with
natural gas backup.
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Disadvantages: Low net energy, high initial cost, need for backup systems on
cloudy days, and high water use for cooling.
Wind Energy:
 Wind power, derived from the sun's energy, has historical use for grinding grains
and pumping water.
 Generates electricity as wind turns turbines, exemplified by the Bangui wind
Farm in Ilocos Norte.
 Advantages: Moderate to high net energy, widely available, low electricity cost,
minimal emissions, and easy expansion.
 Disadvantages: Requires backup or storage, potential visual and noise pollution,
and risk to birds if not properly located.
Geothermal Energy:
 Heat from the earth's crust, fueled by radioactive decay, harnessed by tapping hot
water underground to produce electricity.
 Advantages: Moderate net energy, low CO2 emissions, and cost-effective in
suitable locations.
 Disadvantages: High cost and efficiency challenges except at specific sites,
limited suitable locations, and some emissions.
Hydrothermal Energy:
 Utilizes water's kinetic energy from waterfalls or dams to run turbines for
electricity generation.
 Advantages: Moderate to high net energy.
 Disadvantages: Land disturbance, ecosystem disruption, and emissions in certain
conditions.
Dendrothermal Energy (Biomass):
 Biomass, recent plant and animal matter, burned directly for heating or processed
into biofuels.
 Advantages: Availability, potential for sustainable use, and land restoration.
 Disadvantages: Environmental impact, increased emissions if not sustainable,
habitat loss, and inefficient burning practices.
Biodiesel:
 Derived from crops like oil palm or soybeans, offering reduced emissions and
better mileage.
 Advantages: Lower CO and CO2 emissions, high net energy yield for oil palm,
reduced hydrocarbon emissions, and improved mileage.
 Disadvantages: Increased NO2 emissions, competition with food crops, habitat
loss, and potential biodiversity reduction.
Energy from Tides:
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A dam is constructed across an estuary or bay to harness tides for electricity.
Turbines on both sides of the dam generate electricity by allowing water through
during high and low tides.
Greater water level differences result in increased electricity generation.
Advantages:
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Cost-effective: Tidal power is free once infrastructure is in place.
Environmentally friendly: Produces no greenhouse gases or waste.
No fuel required: Relies on natural tidal movements.
Reliable electricity production: Consistent energy generation.
Low maintenance costs: Not expensive to upkeep.
Predictable: Tides follow a known pattern.
Disadvantages:
1. High initial cost: Building a barrage across an estuary is expensive.
2. Limited power generation: Only active for about 10 hours daily during tidal
movements.
Energy Conservation:
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Goal: Conserve energy to extend the lifespan of non-renewable sources and reduce
environmental impact.
Approaches: Use less energy and increase energy efficiency.
Ways to Use Energy More Efficiently:
Where Energy
is Used
Transportation
Residential
How to Use Less Energy
How to Use Energy
More Efficiently
- Ride a bike or walk
instead of driving.
- Reduce the number of
trips made.
- Carpool or use public
transportation.
- Increase fuel efficiency
in cars.
- Opt for smaller, lighter
cars.
- Drive at speeds below 90
kilometers per hour.
- Turn off lights when not
in use.
- Use appliances only
when necessary.
- Unplug appliances when
idle.
- Upgrade to newer, more
efficient appliances.
- Insulate the home.
- Ensure windows and
doors are well-sealed.
- Use LED or compact
fluorescent light bulbs.
Where Energy
is Used
How to Use Less Energy
How to Use Energy
More Efficiently
- Opt for activities not
involving electronics.
- Utilize natural light over
artificial lighting.
Industrial
- Recycle materials like tin
cans, plastics, glass, and
steel.
- Reduce use of plastic,
paper, and metal.
- Reuse materials.
- Design equipment for
efficiency.
- Practice conservation in
plants/factories.
Commercial
- Turn off appliances and
equipment when not in
use.
- Utilize fluorescent
lighting.
- Set thermostats to
automatically adjust when
buildings are closed.
- Implement energysaving practices in
business operations.
Conclusion:
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Conservation: Preserve energy resources by reducing consumption and improving
efficiency to avoid wasting non-renewable resources.