The Earth has many natural resources. Natural
resources are materials in the environment that
living things can use to survive. Water, air,
minerals, forests, and wildlife are all natural
resources.
Some natural resources are
nonrenewable. This means there is a
limited amount of the resource on Earth.
Once it is used up, it can take millions of
years for nature to make more of it. Fossil
fuels are examples of nonrenewable
resources. Fossil fuels are made of plants
and animals that died millions of years
ago. Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are
examples of fossil fuels. We use fossil
fuels to make electricity and run our
vehicles. Humans rely on fossil fuels, but
their supply is limited. Minerals are
another nonrenewable resource. Gold,
copper, silver, and aluminum are
examples of minerals that humans use.
We must use our resources wisely, so
future generations can use them, too.
Discovery Education Science
© 2007 Discovery Communications, LLC