The Earth’s natural resources
What if there weren’t an ocean or any lakes, ponds, or rivers? What if there were no plants to eat? What if there were no irons to build things with?
Natural resources include all the things that support life. Sunlight, water, soil, and minerals are all natural resources. There are plenty of some resources, and not so many of others.
Sunlight, for example, cannot be used up. Neither can water. The earth has lots of these natural resources. But some places on the earth have more water, more sunlight, or cleaner water than other places.
Some natural resources can be used more than once. These are called recyclable resources. For example, aluminium can be used to make containers, and the containers can be recycled – used to make something else.
Other natural resources can be used and replaced. Animals can reproduce, so they are replaced with new animals. As trees are used, new trees can be planted.
But some natural resources are replaced so slowly we could run out. For example, people are quickly using up the earth’s supplies of coal, oil, and iron. It would take millions of years for the earth to make more of these resources.
Picture Credit : Google
