The United States Consumption of Nonrenewable Resources Essay Example for Free

The United States Consumption of Nonrenewable Resources Essay The United States consumes 85% of nonrenewable energy sources to provide energy throughout the states: 40% comes from oil, 23% from natural gas, and 22% from coal. These nonrenewable energy sources are also called fossil fuels, which take about 300 million years in the making. Fossil fuels are termed nonrenewable because they are not easily reproduced. The U. S. can produce a considerable amount of petroleum. But the increased energy consumption leads to the gradual depletion of its petroleum reserves. Thus, U. S. has been importing oil since 1939. U. S. also depends on natural gas, which is a by-product of oil production. Since petroleum reserves of U. S. is depleting, production of natural gas is also affected. U. S. imports natural gas from Canada. About 27% of coal reserves is found in U. S. Since 1950, U. S. has been producing more coal than it can consume. U. S. exports the surplus to Canada, Brazil, and Italy among others. But U. S. coal reserves are also facing depletion. So coal exportation has decreased since 1991. Increased energy consumption can be attributed to increasing population, rapid industrialization, and continuous economic expansion. The increased energy consumption leads to the utilization of more of the now limited natural resources. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the United States’ total energy consumption is estimated to rise from 97. 7 to 136. 5 quadrillion Btu between 2002 and 2025. What will happen to U. S. ’s energy situation? One, continued use of fossil fuels will increase emission of carbon dioxide and will intensify today’s problem on global warming and acid rain. Two, since there is scarcity of nonrenewable energy sources, U. S. , in the future might exhaust all of these. Importation could be the next step, but budget should be considered. Last, U. S. might exhaust other countries’ sources on nonrenewable energy, too. When this happens, the world might experience the greatest energy crisis ever. Think wisely! Act wisely! Conserve energy now! References An Energy Overview  ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Energy Imports and Exports. (2008). libraryindex.com. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1486/An-Energy-Overview-ENERGY-IMPORTS-EXPORTS.html Conservation. (2008). Alternative Energy. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.altenergy.org/transition/conservation.html Energy Conservation. (2008). libraryindex.com. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1559/Energy-Conservation-FUTURE-TRENDS-IN-CONSERVATION.html Non-Renewable Energy. (2008). Alternative Energy. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.altenergy.org/transition/conservation.html Shepard, K. (2005–2006). Non-renewable Energy Sources. Peak to Prairie Home Inspection Service. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.peaktoprairie.com/?D=188