Natural Resources

1
RENEWABLE V
S
NONRENEWABLE V
S
INEXHAUSTIBLE
What are
RESOURCES?
T h e th in g s w e u se e v e ry d ay
c o m e fro m th e e a rth . N e a rly a ll
o f o u r d a ily a c tiv itie s u se so m e
k in d o f re so u rc e th at is g ro w n o n a
fa rm , h a rv e ste d fro m th e w ild , m in e d ,
o r e x tra c te d fro m d e e p b e lo w th e so il.
Yo u m ay aw a ke n in th e m o rn in g o n sh e e ts m a d e o f c o tto n , u n d e r a b la n ke t m a d e o f w o o l o r
syn th e tic p o lye ste r. C o tto n is g ro w n o n a fa rm , w o o l c o m e s fro m sh e e p ra ise d o n a fa rm , a n d
syn th e tic p o lye ste r—like m o st p la stic s—is m a d e fro m p e tro le u m , w h ic h is e x tra c te d fro m th e
e a rth . T h e so a p yo u u se in th e sh o w e r m ig h t c o n ta in c o tto n se e d o il, w h ile th e tile , m e ta l, a n d
g la ss in yo u r b ath ro o m a re m a d e fro m m in e d m ate ria ls. W a llp a p e r c a n b e a d h e re d to th e w a ll
u sin g w h e at p a ste , a n d p a in t c o n ta in s c o m p o u n d s fro m tre e s. T h e lin o le u m o n th e flo o r is
m a d e fro m so yb e a n o il, th e w o o d flo o rin g c a m e fro m tre e s, a n d th e n a ils h o ld in g it to g e th e r
a re m a d e fro m m ate ria ls th at w e re m in e d fro m th e e a rth . T h e e le c tric ity p o w e rin g th e lig h ts
m ay c o m e fro m w ate r ru n n in g th ro u g h a h yd ro e le c tric d a m o r fro m c o a l b u rn e d at a p o w e r
p la n t. It’s d iffi c u lt to im a g in e w h at o u r liv e s w o u ld b e like w ith o u t th e n atu ra l re so u rc e s th at
p ro v id e u s w ith e le c tric ity, m ate ria ls
fo r th e e v e ryd ay ite m s w e u se , a n d
fo o d to n o u rish o u r b o d ie s. It c a n b e
a n e ye -o p e n in g e xp e rie n c e
to c o n sid e r th e re so u rc e s
th at o n e u se s in
a sin g le d ay.

2
What are
RENEWABLE
resources?
R e n e w a b le re so u rc e s c a n b e re p la c e d b y h u m a n e ffo rts.
T h e se re so u rc e s c a n b e u se d u p w ith o u t p ro p e r m a n a g e m e n t,
b u t w ith p ro p e r m a n a g e m e n t th e y c a n b e re n e w e d .
FORESTS
WILDLIFE
AGRICULTURE
PLANTS
ANIMALS
C ro p s a re a re n e w a b le re so u rc e b e c a u se th e y c a n b e m a n a g e d so th at
th e y re p le n ish th e m se lv e s re g u la rly. Fo r e xam p le , a tre e fa rm c a n b e
m a n a g e d so th at so m e tre e s a re re a d y fo r h a rv e st e a c h ye a r. A fte r tre e s a re
c u t d o w n to b e tu rn e d in to p a p e r o r lu m b e r, m o re tre e s a re p la n te d th at w ill
re n e w th e su p p ly se v e ra l ye a rs in th e fu tu re . C ro p s like w h e at a n d
c o rn a re p la n te d a n d h a rv e ste d w ith in a sin g le g ro w in g se a so n ,
so th e y c a n b e u se d u p a n d th e n re n e w e d e a c h ye a r.

3
What are
NONRENEWABLE
resources?
N o n re n e w a b le re so u rc e s a re n atu ra l re so u rc e s th at c a n n o t
b e re p la c e d o r re p ro d u c e d w ith in a g e n e ratio n .
H u m a n s c a n n o t m a n a g e th e m fo r re n e w a l.
O n c e th e y a re g o n e , th e y a re g o n e fo re v e r.
OIL
MINERAL RESOURCES
(le a d , iro n , c o b a lt, zin c , e tc .) u se d fo r m e ta l
a n d o th e r stru c tu ra l b u ild in g m ate ria ls
SOIL
(ta ke s 1 ,0 0 0 – 5 ,0 0 0 ye a rs to m a ke )
Fo ssil fu e ls a n d so il a re tw o im p o rta n t n o n -re n e w a b le re so u rc e s. B o th a re
fo rm e d v e ry slo w ly b y n atu ra l p ro c e sse s a n d b o th p lay c e n tra l ro le s in o u r
liv e s. W h ile th e a c t o f u sin g fo ssil fu e ls d e p le te s th e su p p ly, th is is n o t
n e c e ssa rily th e c a se w ith so ils, w h ic h c a n b e m a n a g e d fo r lo n g -te rm u se .
E ro sio n d e stro ys to p so il, b u t g o o d m a n a g e m e n t c a n
p re v e n t e ro sio n . S o il th at is m a n a g e d w e ll c a n su p p o rt
m a n y ye a rs o f g ro w in g c ro p s.

4
What are
INEXHAUSTIBLE
resources?
In e xh a u stib le re so u rc e s a re n atu ra l re so u rc e s th at
c a n la st fo re v e r re g a rd le ss o f h u m a n a c tiv itie s.
T h e y re n e w th e m se lv e s c o n tin u o u sly.
H u m a n s c a n d a m a g e th e q u a lity o f th e re so u rc e b u t c a n n o t u se th e m u p .
WATER
AIR
SUNLIGHT
Pe o p le c a n n o t d e stro y th e se re so u rc e s o r c re ate m o re o f th e m , b u t w e c a n a ff e c t
th e ir q u a lity. Po llu tio n c a n re n d e r a ir u n b re ath a b le a n d w ate r u n d rin k a b le . B e c a u se
w e d e p e n d o n n atu ra l re so u rc e s to su rv iv e , it is im p o rta n t th at w e u se th e m c a re fu lly.
C a n yo u id e n tify if th e se re so u rc e s a re
RENEWABLE, NONRENEWABLE, or INEXHAUSTIBLE?
Let’s find out!