Natural Resources

Natural resources are the things that exist freely in nature human beings use for survival. These things include the water, land, forests, animals, rocks, fossil fuels, and minerals inside the Earth. Human beings did not create natural resources. They have always been a part of the Earth before humans appeared.

Most of the natural resources are connected to each other in some way. For example, water is a natural resource, and there was a limited supply, then other resources such as animal and plants would be affected. Natural resources are consumed directly or indirectly. For example, when animals eat plants they are consuming a natural resource directly. However, the many trees of rain forest act as climate control, flood control, and storm protection. The trees of a forest can also be used as raw materials for making houses, furniture, paper, or other items.

Natural resources can be a solid, liquid, or gas. They can also be organic, coming from living things, or inorganic, coming from a non-living source. They can also be made out of metal or be non-metallic. All natural resources are also either renewable or non-renewable.

Renewable resources are always available and can be easily replaced or recovered. The examples of renewable resources include water, plants, animals, the sun, wind, and a few others. Most renewable resources may be replaced in a short period of time. For example, animals are renewable because they can reproduce young offspring replacing adult animals in a short period of time. If it takes too many years to replace a resource it is not considered to be renewable.

Organic renewable resources come from living things such as animals and trees. Inorganic renewable resources come from non-living things such as the water, sun, and wind.

Non-renewable resources cannot be easily replaced once they are destroyed. Examples of these resources include fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas. Non-renewable resources may take thousands or millions of years to be replaced. Minerals, though form naturally, are also non-renewable because the rock cycle used in replacing the minerals will take thousands of years. There are also some animals that can be non-renewable if they are in danger of becoming extinct.

Non-renewable resources can also come from organic or inorganic sources.

Finally, there are metallic and non-metallic resources which are inorganic. Metallic minerals are those containing metal, are hard, shiny, and can be melted to form other products. Examples include copper, tin, and iron. Non-metallic minerals are softer and do not shine, which can include clay and coal.

Natural resources in the world are used for food and drink such as water, farm products, medicines, packaging, and much more. They are used for transportation including cars, trains, boats, airplanes, and others; as well as the fuel used to power them. Another large use of the Earth's natural resources is for housing, buildings, roads, and other construction. This use also includes the energy for the heating and cooling of homes and businesses.

In summary, natural resources are things existing freely in nature, and include renewable and non-renewable things. Some of the resources are organic, meaning they come from living things, such as animals and plants. Other resources are inorganic, coming from non-living things, such as wind, rocks, and fossil fuels. Natural resources can also contain metal or be non-metallic such as coal and clay. The uses for the Earth's natural resources are many, from the food a person eats to the energy used to remain comfortable in a home.