You natural resources they are essential elements for the existence of the human being and the maintenance of life. We, on a daily basis, seek to satisfy our needs and for that we resort to the environment and what it provides us.
However, over the years, natural resources have been exploited and used irrationally and without the necessary care to maintain them. However, currently, there is great concern on the part of society, governments and the scientific community regarding the preservation of natural resources. It is necessary to find a way to meet the needs and promote the development of societies in a sustainable way.
Natural resources can be:
Biological: plants, animals and forests;
Water: lakes, rivers, seas, oceans;
Minerals: ores, rocks, sand, clay, coal;
Energizers: sunlight, wind, water.
Read too: Use of natural resources
What are?
Natural resources are the elements taken from nature to meet the needs of living beings. These elements are useful in everyday life, provide food, energy and ensure the development of society and the various activities performed by man in his daily life.
It is important to say that these features are not evenly distributed on the planet, therefore, there are places with greater or lesser availability of a certain element. Thus, certain areas may have insufficient natural resources to meet the needs of the population, generating conflicts between individuals, as is the case of the Petroleum.
Natural resources are also fundamental for the developmenteconomic, since many are economically viable. However, not all of these elements can be used in the way they are taken from nature, therefore needing to go through a process of transformation and improvement to be used.
Natural resources of animal and vegetable origin
You animals and the vegetable they are considered natural resources, since we human beings appropriate them to meet our needs. Several species of animals that make up the fauna are present not only in our daily diet, but also serving as a means of transportation and supplying raw material for various industries, such as textiles. The agricultural sector is currently one of the most representative in the world in several regions.
The same is true with vegetables. Several species are used not only for food, but also for provide raw material for manufacturing, textile and pharmaceutical industries that develop medicines through substances supplied by the plant. Wood, for example, is widely used for the manufacture of furniture and houses; the fibers are used as raw material for handicrafts; essential oils for the manufacture of beauty products, among other uses.
knowmore: The activities that consume the most water
Types of natural resources
Natural resources can be classified in two ways:
→ Renewable natural resources
Examples of renewable natural resources are: sunlight, vegetables, wind.
You renewable natural resources are those that renew themselves in nature, existing in abundance. Typically, these features are not easily depleted due to the renewal time and its ease of renewal. However, the speed and the way they are used by man are crucial for their maintenance in nature.
Examples of renewable resources are:
Sun light (andsolar energy): The heat emitted by the Sun is an energy source capable of generating electrical energy and thermal energy. The capture of sunlight is carried out through technologies such as photovoltaic panels, solar heaters and heliothermic plants.
Wind (wind energy): Winds are capable of generating energy through their strength. This energy is called wind energy, used to generate electricity through wind turbines.
Water: Water is the essential natural resource for human existence. Without it our organism is not able to survive. In addition to being used for human consumption, water is also used in various activities, in industry, agriculture or daily activities, such as cleaning and personal hygiene.
Vegetable: Vegetables, as already mentioned, provide not only food, but are also used as raw material for various industries.
Animals: Animals are present in the daily lives of much of the world's population, whether in food or as raw material for textile industries, among others.
Wood: Wood is a renewable natural resource widely used in industry and widely used in civil construction. However, logging has been carried out illegally in several regions, increasing environmental problems such as deforestation.
See too: Energy sources
→ Non-renewable natural resources
A major source of energy in the world is oil, it is a non-renewable natural resource.
You non-renewable natural resources are those that don't renew in a span of time that guarantees the supply of the human being's needs, being, therefore, a slow regeneration. Thus, the use of these can lead to their exhaustion, then ceasing to exist. One of humanity's current concerns is to ensure the maintenance of these resources, since many have been used irrationally. Almost 90% of the energy used in the world comes from non-renewable energy sources.
Ores: Ores are elements found in nature made up of minerals, such as oxides and silicates, and many have economic value, such as iron, silver, gold. Minerals are extracted from nature through some techniques, such as mining, and are found in different regions of the world.
Petroleum: Considered one of the most important energy sources in the world, petroleum is an oily substance originated from the decomposition of organic matter. In addition to being used as an energy source, oil also serves as a raw material for the manufacture of plastics, rubbers, solvents and various derivatives, such as petroleum gas, kerosene, diesel oil, among others. It is not found in all regions of the world. There are countries that export in abundance and others that need to import it.
Mineral coal: Coal is widely used as an energy source. It is the fossil fuel with the greatest availability in nature in the world. Coal is formed through the decomposition of organic matter in an environment without the presence of oxygen. It is available on all continents, however, it is not renewed in a short period of time.
