Non-renewable natural resources

In industrial production quantities of elements are usually used as raw materials and inputs, they are essential in different production processes of what we are buying and consuming as finished products, thus covering our needs, you would say, however, it is important that both the industries and the consumer recognize the importance of Non-renewable natural resources and the need to put them to good use in order to preserve them over time.

What are non-renewable natural resources?

We know how natural resources All those goods that we obtain from nature, without the maneuvering of man, these resources can be renewable and non-renewable, depending on their durability.

The nonrenewable resources are the goods offered by nature that cannot be replaced once they are finished, that is, they are It has a certain amount and once it is exhausted for its consumption, there will be no way to dispose of more of this resource. For example, oil, natural gas, etc.

Some natural resources such as water and light are essential for life on the planet, others have served to improve our quality of life, such as energy and mineral resources, which are estimated to have been formed through processes that take billions of dollars years.

Unlike these, the renewable natural resources they can be maintained even increase in time, for example, plants, water, animals and soil. However, if they were to run out, there would be no way to replace them, so it is very important to take care of the use that is It gives them, such is the case of forests devastated by indiscriminate logging and extinct species that will not be seen again on the land.

In this sense, water constitutes the most abundant natural resource on Earth, considered a resource renewable when its use and treatment is carefully controlled, otherwise it would become a non-renewable resource. renewable.

Examples

• Coal.
• Natural gas.
• Petroleum.
• Mineral and metals.
• Underground water tanks.

Characteristics of non-renewable resources

• They are regenerated by very slow natural processes.
• They are found in large numbers, but it turns out to be limited.
• They are scattered in some regions of the planet
• They generate a large amount of energy at low costs.
• They require complicated processes for their extraction and manufacture.
• They produce a harmful impact on the environment.
• Upon exhaustion, it would be impossible to regenerate them.
• Their interdependence often generates geo-economic conflicts.

Importance of non-renewable natural resources

As is well known, these resources were formed over millions of years and man discovered their use after the passage of time. years, today these resources are part of productive processes that are extremely important for life such as we carry.

Impact on the economy

The use of different non-renewable resources is transcendental for the world economy, since according to this the industrial production of each country, international trade, the division of labor, etc.

For example, the availability and exploitation of oil is key in the economy of Arab countries, Venezuela and the Persian Gulf, The varied resources available in the United States drove the growth and diversification of its economy.

Regarding the economic value of a certain resource, it can be said that it depends on its abundance and demand, in the same way the usefulness of the resources lies in their applicability, location and cost economic. On the other hand, the scarcity of some of these resources is a point that worries the world economy.

For example, if an oil field needs to invest more energy than can be extracted, This material should not be considered as a resource, the same happens in coal mines and with wood. Therefore, it is understood that it must also exist in quantities necessary to justify the cost of the extraction process.

Need to preserve non-renewable resources

Any non-renewable resource is considered a resource that cannot be regenerated, produced or reused, making it impossible to maintain its consumption rate.

These resources generally exist in fixed quantities and are consumed faster than nature is capable of. recreate them, hence the possibility that they will be exhausted and the inhabitants of the planet will miss the opportunity to take advantage of them. So it is vitally important to make discriminate and controlled use of them.

In the history of natural resources, Western civilization has gone through these problems, some European countries that During the Middle Ages they were extensive forests, due to continuous deforestation they came to lack wood for heating and for to cook. In this case, the rate of consumption was ahead of the capacity for natural reforestation, which was solved years later with the discovery of coal as an energy resource.

To conclude, it is worth mentioning the effort made by some non-governmental views and intuitions for the preservation of natural resources be called renewable or non-renewable, since both are part of the daily life of entire communities.