The natural resources They are all those obtained directly from nature, that is, they are not created by man. For example: air, water, minerals, light.
These resources are essential for life on planet Earth, both for animals, plants and human beings.
According to their speed of regeneration and consumption, there are renewable and non-renewable natural resources.
Renewable resources are renewed naturally and at a much more significant speed than the speed of their consumption.
- limited renewable resources. They are renewable resources that can be depleted because they are consumed much faster than they are regenerated, and thus, they become depleted resources. For example: timber. While it is true that new trees can be planted or grown to replace those felled, if felling occurs at very extreme rates, the rate of consumption of the trees is greater than the rate at which these trees grow.
- unlimited renewable resources. They are the ones that don’t run out. For example: sunlight and wind.
Humanity should not run the risk of lacking renewable resources, but it is important to clarify that they should not be used indiscriminately.
Examples of renewable resources
Wind and solar energy are renewable resources.
Some examples of renewable natural resources are:
- geothermal energy. It is produced from the high temperatures that are generated inside the planet Earth, which heat the underground water and then make it emerge to the surface so that it can be used to generate electrical energy.
- Wind. It is used as a source of electrical energy. For this, wind turbines are used, which are equipment that convert the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy.
- biofuels. They are made up of mixtures of organic compounds that are derived from agricultural crops such as corn and sugar cane, or from oilseed species such as soybeans and palm trees. Biofuels make it possible to generate energy, and the most common are bioethanol (produced from sugar cane) and biodiesel (produced from oil palm) among other plant species. This fuel generates less carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than fossil fuels.
- Sunlight. It is one of the most important energy resources and, in fact, it is the most inexhaustible of those that exist on our planet. For this reason, the use of solar energy is increasingly promoted.
- Water. It is essential for the life of all living beings, and also, it is an energy source, because thanks to the movements of the masses of water, electrical energy can be generated. Its care is very important since the processes to purify it are expensive. Although it is renewable, it is a limited resource, because contaminated water is not useful for most of the processes that involve it.
- Paper. It is obtained from wood. Although it is a renewable resource, if the felling of the trees is faster than their regeneration, then wood and, consequently, paper may become scarce.
- seaweed. They are an important renewable resource that is used in a large number of applications, such as in the production of fertilizers and in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry.
- Timber. From the felling of trees, wood can be obtained for the production of different goods, such as furniture. It is essential that felling is not compulsive, because it could exceed the time it takes for the product to regenerate.
- The tides. Changes in sea level as a consequence of the force of gravitational attraction are inexhaustible. This resource is used in many communities to generate energy.
- Agricultural products. All those products that are obtained from agricultural activities, such as corn, soybeans, tomatoes or oranges, seem to be inexhaustible, as long as precautions are taken not to exhaust the soil.
Nonrenewable resources
Oil is a non-renewable (exhaustable) resource.
Also known as “exhaustable”, non-renewable resources are those that, due to their characteristics, cannot be regenerated or, if they do, this occurs at a speed and in a proportion well below what is required to be able to give them profit This occurs, for example, with oil, a product that takes years to regenerate.
The sustainable use of these resources is increasingly promoted: they are replaced by others and awareness is raised about their scarcity. Other examples of non-renewable resources are: gasoline, natural gas, metals or even coal.
Continue on: Non-renewable resources
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References
- “Renewable resources: the energy of the planet” in Aquae Foundation.
- “Renewable Resources” on Wikipedia.
- Solar energy: A new day dawning?: Silicon Valley sunrise. Nature 443, 19-22 (7 Sep 2006) | doi:10.1038/443019a; Published online on September 6, 2006.