Renewable Resources
Renewable resources are, as the name suggests, renewable. A renewable resource is any natural resource that can be replenished over time. Examples of renewable resources are biomass, water, geothermal, wind, and solar. These resources have been receiving attention as a result of the increased global worries over the usage of fossil fuels and nonrenewable resources. These resources can also prove to be problematic, but have a lot of benefits as well.
Biomass
Biomass resources are wood, crops, landfill gases, and algae. Biomass resources provide the power, fuels, and products that are usually made from fossil fuels. Some examples are plastic, insulation, fabric, and adhesive products. The reason that biomass is so important is that it reduces the use of nonrenewable resources by a lot, and also decreases the need for foreign oil.
Water
In the US, hydroelectric power is the most used, and provides the most power. The natural powerful flow of water is used to turn turbines to create energy within a hydroelectric plant. The water is usually flowing downstream at a hydroelectric plant, and the water cycle automatically replenishes this resource after some time.
Geothermal
The heat that is within the Earth is harnessed by power plants and is used to power generators and create energy. Geothermal energy is the least popular of the main 5 renewable resources.
Wind
Wind is the second most popular renewable resource that is used, mainly due to the fact that it is an infinite energy supply and has been used for hundreds of years. The only downfall to using wind energy is that it creates little amounts of energy, which is why there are many other options for getting power.
Solar
Solar power is the most used renewable resource on the planet, mainly because it does not hurt the environment in any way at all, and produces a lot of energy for use. Of course, the way to collect solar energy is by using solar panels in large numbers. The solar cells within the solar panel collect the light from the sun and convert it to electricity.