natural resource
Exploitable planetary material
A natural resource is something useful that occurs in nature without human creation—water, timber, minerals, oil, fertile soil.
The term usually appears in discussions of extraction, conservation, or economics: The country's natural resources include vast oil reserves.
Natural resources may be renewable (forests, fish populations) or nonrenewable (coal, natural gas).
Wood for construction
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- oreMetal-bearing rock
- mineralNaturally formed crystalline solid
- waterClear essential liquid
coal · soil · gravel · sand · clay · stone · limestone · granite
Energy from decomposed organisms
- coalCombustible sedimentary rock
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- mineralNaturally formed crystalline solid
- oreMetal-bearing rock
finite · exhaustible · depleting · irreplaceable · uranium · phosphate · groundwater · topsoil
Slippery viscous fluid
- goldElement seventy-nine
- silverLustrous white precious metal
- copperReddish-brown metallic element
- ironElement twenty-six
diamonds · uranium · aluminum · lithium · nickel · platinum · zinc · tin
Of the star
- windAir current outdoors
- hydroelectricGenerated by flowing water
- geothermalRelating to underground heat
- biomassLiving material in aggregate
tidal · wave · sunlight · rainwater · timber · fishery · freshwater · replenishable
Capacity to endure indefinitely
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- stewardshipResponsible care of entrusted things
- protectionGuarding against harm
- reserveSupply kept back
national park · wildlife refuge · management · restoration · reclamation · reforestation · rationing · quota
Unsustainable marine harvest
- deforestationLarge-scale woodland elimination
- overgrazingExcessive pasture consumption
- overharvestingUnsustainable resource extraction
- exhaustionState of utter depletion
scarcity · shortage · crisis · dwindling · encroachment · habitat loss · desertification · soil erosion
Extracting earth's resources
- drillingHole-making by rotation
- loggingRecording system events
- quarryingOpen-pit stone mining
- frackingExtracting gas via pressure
harvesting · pumping · dredging · tapping · smelting · refining · strip-mining · clear-cutting
timber
Wood for construction
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- oreMetal-bearing rock
- mineralNaturally formed crystalline solid
water · coal · soil · gravel · sand · clay · stone · limestone · granite · marble
fossil fuel
Energy from decomposed organisms
- coalCombustible sedimentary rock
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- mineralNaturally formed crystalline solid
ore · finite · exhaustible · depleting · irreplaceable · uranium · phosphate · groundwater · topsoil · old-growth
oil
Slippery viscous fluid
iron · diamonds · uranium · aluminum · lithium · nickel · platinum · zinc · tin · lead
solar
Of the star
- windAir current outdoors
- hydroelectricGenerated by flowing water
- geothermalRelating to underground heat
biomass · tidal · wave · sunlight · rainwater · timber · fishery · freshwater · replenishable · regenerative
sustainability
Capacity to endure indefinitely
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- stewardshipResponsible care of entrusted things
- protectionGuarding against harm
reserve · national park · wildlife refuge · management · restoration · reclamation · reforestation · rationing · quota · regulation
overfishing
Unsustainable marine harvest
- deforestationLarge-scale woodland elimination
- overgrazingExcessive pasture consumption
- overharvestingUnsustainable resource extraction
exhaustion · scarcity · shortage · crisis · dwindling · encroachment · habitat loss · desertification · soil erosion · biodiversity loss
mining
Extracting earth's resources
fracking · harvesting · pumping · dredging · tapping · smelting · refining · strip-mining · clear-cutting · trawling
- Earth systemsbiosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, geosphere
natural resourcehuman capital
Workers' skills and knowledge
intellectual property · intangible asset · financial capital · digital asset · social capital
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