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Resources and power
Naural resources are things that occur naturally, and that are useful to us. They include fuels such as oil and natural gas, and materials such as iron ore, and timber. Natural resources may be renewable or non-renewable.Renewable resources are those that are replaced in nature at a rate close to their rate of use eg plants and animals. Nonrenewable resources exist in fixed amounts or are used up faster than they can be replaced in nature eg. fossil fuels. The most important natural in England are its energy resources which generate about 10 per cent income for our country. Natural resources: coal, petroleum, natural gas - found in the British sector of the North Sea, zinc tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, slate, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land.
Coal (non- renewable resources)
England has large deposits of coal, mined for more than 300 years. For most of the 19th and 20th centuries, coal was England's richest natural resource, meeting most of the nation's requirement for energy. Today, coal can be produced more cheaply in other countries and so many British factories and mines have closed. In 1970 we were the third largest producer of coal but coal production has declined rapidly sine then. In 2000, only 35 million tonnes of coal was produced compared to 145 million in 1970. Areas like south Wales, central Scotland, the north of England (the Midlands, Merseyside, Manchester, West Yorkshire and Newcastle) and London were important industrial centres.
Oil and Gas (non- renewable resources)
Oil and gas were discovered under the North Sea during the 1960s and new supplies are still being found today. Gas has been particularly important in replacing coal as a fuel for generating electricity.
Wind Power (renewable resources)
The business of generating electricity from the wind is growing fast as the world looks for cleaner ways to produce energy. Coal, oil and gas fired power stations could eventually be replaced by wind farms and other forms or renewable energy. In 1997, there were 550 wind turbines and over 30 wind farms in the UK. The government has made a promise that 10% of the energy of the UK will come from renewable sources by 2010.
Minerals (non- renewable resources)
England has relatively few mineral resources. Zinc, tin, iron ore, and copper are all produced in small quantities. Our main commercial minerals are those used in the construction and building industries such as sand and gravel, limestone and gypsum. They are normally mined from the surface in quarries using heavy machinery. Smaller quarries are also found across England and provide stone for the local building industry. This means that many parts of England have a distinctive appearance according to the local stone available.