Natural Resources a Gift from Nature to Humans

Introduction to Natural Resources

Whenever we reflect back to life and think about our day-to-day activities most of the things that we do throughout the day are somehow connected or derived from natural resources. We need to use a lot of things like electricity, devices, cooking, and many other activities. And none of them is possible without the presence of resources that nature gives us. These all are still secondary needs of our life, oxygen and water are a necessity for us and without them, we simply can’t survive and nature is the only thing where we get them from. But have you ever thought that how do we get all these things and in which way they are extracted from nature?

In this article, we are going to talk about all the things that you need to know about natural resources. A complete guide for kids to know that how do we get these from nature, why are they important, and all the ways in which we can conserve them.

What are Natural Resources?

We all have little and vague idea about what are resources that are available in nature and how do they help us. But we are not very clear about what they actually are. In simple words, natural resources are the material found on this planet earth and exist without any actions of humankind. They are present in a very raw and crude way in nature and then are extracted from it for further use. All the actions that human needs to pull off are somehow in connection with the natural resources. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. Some of the resources given to us by nature are available in abundance while some are present in scarce amounts.

This video will definitely help you in understanding natural resources a little better

Why are Natural Resources Important?

Now that question that arises is why are natural resources important and what do they do for us. Some of the reasons why resources are important to both humans and other living organisms are:

• The air that we breath in is a resource
• Water is a necessity of our life and nature is where we find it
• We need them for food and then for cooking it
• Production of electrity id not not possible without the presence of resources like water and coal
• To run our vehicals we need resources like petrol, diesel and CNG that are given to us by nature
• All the furniture in our house is of wood which is also a natural resource.

Other than these, natural resources are important to us in a lot of other ways as well. All we need to do is break down our day in different activities and then think about how we are able to carry forward it or perform it. There will definitely be involvement of one or more natural resources in it.

Types of Natural Resources

Resources are of various different types and broadly they are divided into two categories on the basis of their availability in nature. So the two types of natural resources are:

Inexhaustible Natural Resources

It is very clear by the name that they are the types of resources that will never get exhausted or finished. Inexhaustible resources are naturally reoccurring and are available to us in abundance. They are also referred to as renewable resources because they can renew on their own and will never get finished. No matter how much we use them they will never come to an end. Some of the examples of inexhaustible resources are wind, sun, solar energy, tides, and geothermal energy. 

Exhaustible Natural Resources

Then comes the other type which is exhaustible natural resources and is also referred to as non-renewable resources. They are the type of resources that are available to us in a limited amount only and will end one day. That is why one needs to use them judicially and in a sustainable way. Some of the examples of exhaustible natural resources are petroleum, coal, natural gas, forest, and minerals.

Important Natural Resources and Their Uses

There are thousands and thousands of natural resources but some of them are extremely important to us and used by us the most. So top 10 most important natural resources are:

Water

Water is a necessity of our life we need it for our body and along with that to carry out many different activities of the day. It is available to us by different natural water resources like glaciers, oceans, rivers, and many more. But natural water is of further two types salty water and fresh water and fresh water is what is required by us. We get fresh water from places like surface water, under river flow, groundwater, and frozen water.

The very main thing for which we need water is for drinking. Other than that it plays a huge role in the making of electricity and it is required in a lot of other industrial and natural processes.

Soil

Soil is a loose substance that tops the land, it consists of different organic and inorganic matters. It is considered a natural resource because no type of vegetation and agriculture is possible without soil. Soil also consists of minerals, gases, liquids, and other living organisms that together support life. Soil also helps in providing structural support to plants that grow on it. There are many different kinds of soils that vary in their chemical and physical properties.

We need soil for agriculture and different cultivation activities. And it also protects the land from getting eroded.

Timber

Timber is also known as Lumber is a processed form of wood that is converted into beams and planks of wood. It is done mainly for the purpose of using it for industrial and structural purposes. They are taken from the branches and trunks of trees. Lumber may be supplied either rough-sawn or surfaced on one or more of its faces. We need wood and timber for various different purposes like the construction of buildings, dams, bridges, and many different things. And we can get it only from nature as it can not be produced artificially and this is the reason they are considered as natural resources.

Sun Light

Sunlight is the natural resource that is available to us in most abundance. It is a renewable resource and the sun provides us with heat, energy, light, and vitamin D. It is very essential to carry out activities of the human body other than that no natural growth on this planet is possible without the presence of sunlight. The sun also plays a huge role in agriculture and the cultivation of things. With the advancement of technology now sunlight is also being used for the production of electricity with the help of solar power plants. Other than there are many devices like cookers, coolers that run solely on solar energy. Sunlight is a very important natural resource.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is a hydrocarbon gas mixture that is one of the world’s most significant energy resources. It is a raw material that nature gives us and then many different types of gases and energies are derived from it. It is a non-renewable resource as its formation takes millions of years. This gas is formed after the exposure of decomposed animal and plant matter from the heat and pressure under the Earth’s surface over millions of years before transforming into natural gas. All our cooking is done with the help of this gas only and we need it for much other industrial work as well as LPG is just one product of it.

Oil

Next, we have another very important natural resource and that is oil. Oils are also made in million years with the remains of organisms, then they convert into fossils, remains compressed in the land for a very long and because of the pressure exerted by land on them they convert into oil. It is undoubtedly the most in-demand natural resource on this planet and is more specifically known as petroleum. Petroleum is found underground and is extracted, or brought out, with giant drilling machines. It is first available in the form of crude oil and then is processed into different types of oils.

We need them for a lot of reasons like running our vehicles, sometimes running machinery and it is also required for a lot of other industrial purposes.

Coal

Yet another very useful and valuable thing found underground is Coal. It is a synthetic compound and is used as a source of energy. It can be found in two ways one is above the surface and another is below the surface and for that big mining, units are set up so that coal can be mined out. Coal also has a lot of different by-products that are also used for many different purposes.

The main reason for which we need coal is the formation of electricity and in past trains were also run with the use of coal.

Metals

Metals are given to use by nature only and are undoubtedly a very important natural resource. They are of many different types like Gold, Silver, Tin, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Iron, Nickel, Chromium, and Aluminum. They are also extracted with the help of mining and are found in a raw way. We need metals for construction, making energy, ornaments, and many other things.

Air

Is it possible to live without oxygen or air in general? Air is an invisible thing that we feel around ourselves and has a lot of gases in it. Oxygen is the most important gas in all of them because it is the main necessity for human survival. Other than that all the gases present in it are used for many different purposes. Like CO2 is required by plants for their survival and gases like Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Helium are important in the industrial world. Nowadays with the help of windmills, the air is used for the generation of energy as well.

Minerals

The last very important natural resource on our list is minerals, they also come from the land. In simple words, they are different kinds of rocks with numerous different properties. They are of two types metallic and non-metallic. Some examples of minerals are sand, gravel, gypsum, halite, Uranium, dimension stone. They also fall under the category of non-renewable resources as they are present in a limited amounts only.

A Little Guide to Conservation of Natural Resources

We all know that some resources are available to us in limited amount as they require millions of years to get renewed. But we keep on using our resources without keeping this in mind. And it is undeniable that they will end one day and we don’t have any alternate for them till now. So what will be after their end. That is why it becomes really important to conserve our natural resources and use them in a judicial way. Small steps that we can adapt in our day to day life that will help in making big changes:

• Try to use less water and avoid wasting it.
• You should try to save as much as energy possible by turning off unecessary lights, using lights that consume less energy
• Adapt the habit of reuse, reduce and recycle
• Thrift shopping is a trend these days adn you can adapt it too.
• Try to go for alternatives that are renewable in nature and are not likely to end
• Sarat consuming enery from things like hydropower plants, windmills and solar energy rather than coal and petroleum
• Adapt the habit of making compost so that things can be reused and energy can be made
• Try to avoid usinf vehicals for close destinations and develop the habit of walking and cycling.

Have a look at this video to understand the conservation of nature and why is it important

What are Natural Resources for Kids?

Here are some important naturals resources that kids need to know about:

Water

Water is the most essential liquid for all living kind be it humans, animals or plants. It is available to us with he help of different water sources. They are bassical of two types salty water sources and fresh water sources. Fresh water is what all living organisms need. It is not only essential for our body but is required to carry out a lot of activities and industrial activities as well.

Sun Light

Sun light is the main element required by all living organisms for their growth. They are required by plants, humans, animals and all the other living things on this planet as it is the main source of energy. Other than that now it is used for making artificial enery as well which can be use to run appliances. Solar energy is the future of this planet. It is a very premium way of making electricity these days.

Air

Is survival on this planet even possible without air? The two main elements that make this planet unique from others are air and water. Air has numerous gases present in it which makes survival on this planet possible. Oxygen is the main thing that all living organisms need for their survival. Other gases present in it also required by the body and also for many industrial works. They played a huge role in carrying out different things that take place on this planet.

FAQs Related to Natural Resources

Here are answers to the questions that might come to your mind after reading about different types of natural resources.

Q1. What are the five most comman natural resources?

Some of the resources that are available to us in abundance and help us in many different walks of life are:

• Water
• Coal
• Oil
• Forest
• Iron

Q2. Is wood also a type of natural resource?

It would not be wrong to say that wood is a type of natural resource because we require it in a lot of different types of things and is given to us by nature. It belongs to the category of renewable resources.

Q3. What are top 7 types minerals?

Minerals are a type of carbon content found in nature. Some types of minerals are:

• silicates
• sulfides
• carbonates
• oxides
• halides
• sulfates
• phosphates

Q4. What are some type of resources other than natural resources?

Resources are all those things that enable us to carry out all the activities of the day. Natural resources are given to us by nature and there are many other kinds of resources as well:

• Human resources
• Environmental resources
• Mineral resources
• Water resources
• Vegetation resources

Q5. What is biodiversity and why it is important?

Biodiversity is a term used to define all the animals, plants, and other natural things present in nature. It includes all the things that are present on this planet along with the geographic locations as well. And that is why it is considered that there are many different types of biodiversities on this planet like aquatic biodiversity, land biodiversity, sir biodiversity, and many more.

Q6. How is coal extracted from lands and mines?

Bringing out coal from lands and then using is a very lengthy, expensive, and complex procedure. First of all coal deposits are made some of which are on-surface while some are underground. Then a lot of miners are ut on the job of bringing out coal from the land. And this is how coal is extracted from nature.

Q7. Is coal extraction bad for environment?

If we talk in general terms then it would not be wrong to say that the extraction of coal from the environment is bad for nature in a lot of terms. Some of the reasons are exploitation of nature that is done to extract them as deep are of land is dug out it leads to the loss of habitat and it also relies a lot on fumes and gases in the air.

Q8. Why are diamonds the most expensive kind of minerals?

Minerals are already a very rare kind of natural resource and are available in a very scarce amount. In that too there are some available in huge amounts and some in very little about. Diamonds are the ones that are very rare. They are considered minerals because of their structure and the amount of carbon in them. Diamonds are so expensive and valuable because of their rare availability and the cost that is incurred on them to bring them to the market. Another reason is that they are present in nature in very less amount and have a huge demand.

Final Thoughts on Natural Resources

Nature has given us things that are far beyond the imagination of humans. There is no way we can thank it enough for it. We just can not imagine our lives without using these resources because it is simply not possible. We know a lot of things about these resources but there are many things we don’t have any idea about. This article will help you in understanding nature and its resources a lot better. You will also get a hit about how to use non-renewable resources in a judicial and sustainable way because it is the need of the present. Other than that you will also learn about why these resources are necessary and the different ways in which they are available.

So, if you are someone who has an interest in nature and its bounties and wants to play a role in their conservation then this is the article for you.

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