Natural Resource

• Natural resources


  Materials from the Earth that are used to support life and meet people's needs
• Examples of natural resources

  • Air
  • Water
  • Plants
  • Animals
  • Soil
  • Rocks
  • Minerals
  • Crude oil
  • Fossil fuels
• Renewable resource


  • Can be replenished naturally over time
  • Can be used repeatedly and does not run out because it is naturally replaced
• Renewable resource


  • Plants
  • Water
  • Wind
  • Sunlight
  • Animals
• Non-renewable resource


  • Cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a pace quick enough to keep up with consumption
  • Found in limited quantities and take a long period of time to generate
• Non-renewable resource


  • Rocks
  • Minerals
  • Fossil fuels or natural gas
  • Soil
• The lives of future generations depend on how we use natural resources today
• All resources used by humans, including fuels, metals, and building materials, come from the Earth
• Many of these resources are not in endless supply and have taken many thousands and millions of years to develop and accumulate
• Conserving natural resources

  Protecting or using them wisely without wasting them or using them up completely
• Conserving natural resources can make them last and be available for future generations
• Sustainability of natural resources means conserving them to protect future generations
• A resource that is destroyed when used but can be replaced easily is said to be renewable
• Soil is an example of a non-renewable resource because its formation takes a long time
• People use soil to grow living things
• All natural resources come from the Earth
• Natural resources take years to form
• Conserving resources means protecting the resource so it does not run out
• Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are considered non-renewable resources because it takes a very long time to produce them
• Natural resources are the materials that nature provides to humans.