Fossil energy sources, including oil, coal and natural gas, are non-renewable resources that formed when prehistoric plants and animals died and were gradually buried by layers of rock.
Why is fossil fuel considered a nonrenewable resource?
A nonrenewable resource is a natural resource that cannot be re-made or re-grown at a scale comparable to its consumption. Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are considered nonrenewable because they can not be replenished in a short period of time. These are called fossil fuels.
Can fossil fuels be replenished?
Coal, above, is a type of rock that is a fossil fuel. Non-renewable energy comes from sources that will run out or will not be replenished in our lifetimes—or even in many, many lifetimes. Most non-renewable energy sources are fossil fuels: coal, petroleum, and natural gas.21 Feb 2013