 |
What are natural resources? |
by Kate Simmons >> more about the author
Some natural resources, such as trees, are renewable, meaning that with very careful planning, we can help replace these resources at about the same rate that we are using them. However, even renewable resources can be used up if people don’t make a strong effort to protect them. Other resources, such as oil, are nonrenewable, meaning that once we use them up, they are gone forever.
Nature has so many gifts to offer… water, wind, the sun. These gifts are natural resources, which are helpful items that come from the Earth. Natural resources make our lives comfortable. In fact, without them, we wouldn’t be able to survive.
Think of the things that make life on Earth possible: food, shelter, warmth. They all come from natural resources! We eat plants and animals, we use wood and other materials to build our homes, and we heat, cool and light our houses with fuel from sources such as coal and natural gas. It’s hard to imagine life without natural resources!
Some natural resources, such as trees, are renewable, meaning that with very careful planning, we can help replace these resources at about the same rate that we are using them. However, even renewable resources can be used up if people don’t make a strong effort to protect them. Other resources, such as oil, are nonrenewable, meaning that once we use them up, they are gone forever.
It’s time to go on a resource hunt! Take a walk around your backyard, noticing the many natural resources it holds. Can you think of ways that people use these resources? For example, if you see a pile of rocks, they might remind you that rocks are used for building. You may see a tree and remember that we use wood to make paper and a variety of other products.
When you finish your walk, draw a picture of your yard, making a special effort to represent the natural resources you’ve just observed.
