Download 24.1 Natural Resources Natural resources can come from the soil

24.1 Natural Resources
Natural resources can come from the soil, air, water, or deep in the Earth’s crust.
Renewable Resources – a resource that can be replaced by nature in a short period of time. Examples
include fresh surface water, most ground water, and air. When used properly, fertile soil is a renewable
resource. If the soil is exposed to wind and water erosion, the topsoil can be eroded away. Other
renewable resources include all living things and elements that cycle through Earth’s systems, such as
carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Solar energy from the sun is included as well.
Sustainable yield – is when renewable resources are replaced at the same rate at which they are
consumed.
Non-renewable resources – a resource that exists in fixed amounts in various places in Earth’s crust and
can be replaced only by geological, physical, and chemical processes that take millions of years. Examples
include: fossil fuels, diamonds, and other gemstones, elements such as gold, copper, and silver.
Distributions on natural resources – Natural resources are not evenly distributed throughout the world.
Some places have more of one resource than another place. Likewise, not all countries on Earth consume
the resources evenly. The U.S. makes up about 6% of the worlds population, but they consume about
30% of Earth’s mineral and energy resources each year.