NATURAL RESOURCE

A natural resource is anything people can use which comes from nature. People do not make natural resources, but gather them from the earth. Examples of natural resources are air, water, wood, oil, solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, and coal. Refined oil is not a natural resource because people make it. We often say there are two sorts of natural resources: renewable resources and non-renewable resources. A renewable resource grows again or comes back again after we use it. For example, sunlight, water and wood are renewable resources. A non-renewable resource is a resource that does not grow or come back, or a resource that would take a very long time to come back. For example, coal is a non-renewable resource.

RENEWABLE RESOURCE A substance of economic value that can be replaced or replenished in the same amount or less time as it takes to draw the supply down. Some renewable resources have essentially an endless supply, such as solar energy, wind energy and geothermal pressure, while other resources are considered renewable even though some time or effort must go into their renewal, such as wood, oxygen, leather and fish. Most precious metals are considered renewable as well; even though they are not naturally replaced, they can be recycled because they are not destroyed during their extraction and use. Renewable resources have become a focal point of the environmental movement, both politically and economically. Energy obtained from renewable resources puts much less strain on the limited supply of fossil fuels (nonrenewable resources). The problem with using renewable resources on a large scale is a cost problem and in most cases, more research is needed to make their use cost-effective.

RENEWABLE RESOURCE A renewable resource is a resource which is replaced naturally. Examples are: oxygen, fresh water, solar energy, timber, and biomass. They may become non-renewable resources if more is used than nature can replace in time. For example, ground water may be removed from an aquifer faster than new water replacing it. Drought might follow. Renewable resources may also include goods commodities such as wood, paper and leather. Gasoline, coal, natural gas, diesel and other commodities that come from fossil fuels are non-renewable. Some commodities, like plastics and diesel, are mostly made from fossil fuel. However, ways have been developed to make degradable plastic and biodiesel from renewable resources such as corn, soybeans and canola.