Natural Resources of the World

Abstract

Natural resources are materials, energy, and their attributes that are derived from the Earth and are useful to the maintenance and improvement of the quality of human life. Renewable resources are those that are continually available, like solar energy and wind power, or that can be replaced within the lifespan of humans such as wood, plants, and animals. Nonrenewable resources are formed over geologic time and are not readily replaceable; examples include petroleum products, copper ore, coal, and aluminum. Our natural resources are drawn from land and minerals, air and water, and include solar and biological resources, as well as their attributes (for example, some societies value an aesthetically pleasing landscape view as a natural resource). We exploit them not only to satisfy our needs for the raw materials of major industries, but also for their spiritual values. These resources are not merely consequential components of the Earth, but are the products of the interactions of plants, animals, climate, soils, and water that are linked together by the flow of matter and energy. The harmonious links between soils, plants, animals, solar energy, and water in a functioning Earth ensures the availability of natural resources such as clean water, fertile soil, and clean air to sustain human existence. The future of these resources is dependent on maintaining these delicate balances of energy transfer within our planet.