Natural Resources: are

materials and energy provided

by nature
that are essential or used to
humans. They fall into three
categories:
inexhaustible resources,
renewable resources and
nonrenewable
resources.
Resources
Natural Resources – are materials and energy provided by nature which are essential for human’s needs
and survival.
Examples: light, air, water, plants, animals, soil, stone, minerals, and fossil fuels, etc.
Three Categories:

 Perpetual Resources
 Renewable Resources
 Nonrenewable Resources
Perpetual Resources – any natural resource that continuously replenishes itself indefinitely.
Examples: sunlight, wind, and tides
Renewable Resources – any natural resource that can replenish itself naturally over time or from human
intervention.
Examples: harvesting trees for wood and paper

 Sustainable Yield – the maximum rate at which people can use a renewable resource without
reducing the ability of the resource to renew itself.
Examples: over-farming the land leading to soil erosion
Clear-cutting forests

 Environmental Degradation – deterioration of the environment through depletion of

resources such as quality of air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat destruction;
the extinction of wildlife; and pollution.
Examples: deforestation
Water pollution
Soil erosion
Groundwater depletion
Tragedy of Commons
- Degradation of renewable free-access resources.
“If I do not use this resource, someone else will. The little bit I use or pollute is not enough to matter, and
such resources are renewable anyway.”
Solutions?
Nonrenewable Resources – any natural resources that do not replenish itself within the human time
frame. These resources take millions to billions of years to form through geological processes.
Examples: metallic resources (iron, copper, aluminum)
Non-metallic resources (salt, clay, sand)
Energy resources (coal, oil, natural gas)
Saving Natural Resources

- Over these years, natural resources are decreasing at an alarming rate due to population growth
and overconsumption. To conserve these natural resources, the people must practice the three
R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle.

 Reduce – using less of natural resources and avoiding wastage of natural resources.
Examples: Walk or bicycle instead of using an automobile
Use alternative sources of power such as solar and wind energy
Turn of lights, water, television and other appliances when not in use

 Reuse – use materials more than once in their original form instead of throwing them away after
each use.
Examples: Rain can be caught in rain barrels and used to water your garden.
Use gray water
Use reusable bags when shopping.
  Recycle – Converting waste materials into new products, changing them from their original form
by physical and chemical processes.
Commonly recycled materials include:

 Batteries.

 Biodegradable waste.

 Electronics.

 Iron and steel.

 Aluminum

 Glass.

 Paper.

 Plastic.

 Textiles, such as clothing.

 Timber.

 Tires.