Conceptual Physics (12th Edition)

Published by Addison-Wesley
ISBN 10: 0321909100
ISBN 13: 978-0-32190-910-7

Chapter 18 - Think and Explain - Page 352-353: 54

Answer

The sun is the source of the energy that is present in wood, oil and coal. The descriptions "renewable" vs. "nonrenewable" refer to how long it takes for a source of energy to be replenished by the sun. A grove of trees can grow relatively quickly, so wood is a "renewable" resource. The natural processes that produce oil and gas take many millions of years, and hence energy produced from those resources is "nonrenewable".
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