Natural resources

Natural resources are resources that exist without any actions of humankind. This includes all valued characteristics such as magnetic, gravitational, and electrical properties and forces, and the natural sciences such as biology, chemistry, and physics.

Definition

The term natural resource is defined as a form of energy and/or matter which is essential for the functioning of organisms, populations, and ecosystems. Natural resources are derived from the environment. Many of them are essential for our survival while others are used for satisfying our wants. Natural resources may be further classified in different ways.

Classification

Natural resources are often classified into renewable resources and non-renewable resources. Renewable resources are those that are replenished naturally and over relatively short periods of time. This includes resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. Non-renewable resources, on the other hand, are resources that do not renew themselves at a sufficient rate for sustainable economic extraction in meaningful human timeframes. Examples include minerals, petroleum, natural gas, and coal.

Conservation

The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem, it will avail us little to solve all others. The conservation of natural resources is important as the world population is increasing and more people are using up more resources. This is why it is so important to conserve the resources we have today.

See also

• Sustainable development
• Environmental degradation
• Overconsumption
• Resource depletion