IN BROAD TERMS, A RESOURCE , OR NATURAL RESOURCE, IS ANYTHING NEEDED FROM THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT BY AN ORGANISM OR A GROUP OR ORGANISMS. IN OTHER WORDS, A RESOURCE IS SOMETHING USEFUL FOR HUMANITY AT A PARTICULAR PLACE AND DURING A PARTICULAR TIME PERIOD. ITS USE CAN CHANGE BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY ECONOMICS AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS.
TECHNOLOGY CANNOT BRING BACK AN EXTINCT ANIMAL OR PLANT RESOURCE BY IMPROVING THEM, USING THEM MORE EFFICIENTLY OR RECYCLING THEM. FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY WE GET SEVEN TIMES MORE ELECTRIC POWER FROM ONE TONNE OF COAL THAN WE DID IN 1990. IN UNITED STATES, IN 1990, ONLY 10 PERCENT OF THE COPPER WAS RECYCLED. TODAY ABOUT 40 PERCENT IS RECYCLED. HOWEVER, WHILE MANY NATURAL RESOURCES, SUCH AS COPPER LEAD OR SILVER CAN BE RECYCLED, WE CAN NEVER RECYCLE ENERGY RESOURCES.ONCE A FOSSIL FUEL RESOURCE, SUCH AS COAL, OIL OR NATURAL GAS IS BURNED, IT IS GONE FOREVER AS A USEFUL SOURCE OF ENERGY.
IN ADDITION OF TECHNOLOGY, RESOURCE USE IS CONNECTED TO ECONOMICS. SOMETHING IS USEFUL AS A RESOURCE ONLY IF IT IS MADE AVAILABLE AT A REASONABLE COST. FOR EXAMPLE, ONCE WE DEPLETE THE EASILY AVAILABLE SUPPLIES OF A RESOURCE, WE HAVE TO LOOK HARDER AND DIG DEEPER TO FIND THE REMAINING SUPPLIES. IN THE COSTS OF FINDING AND MAKING A SCARCE RESOURCE AVAILABLE,THE RESOURCE WILL BECOME EVENTUALLY TOO EXPENSIVE FOR MOST PEOPLE. HIGHER COSTS MAY STIMULATE MORE RESEARCH FOR NEW SUPPLIES OR MAKE PROCESSING OF LOWER GRADE DEPOSITS ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE. BUT REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO PAY,WE CANNOT GET A RESOURCE OUT OF THE EARTH IF IT IS NOT THERE.
THERE CAN ALSO BE AN ECONOMIC LIMIT TO RECYCLING. TYPICALLY RECYCLING IS CHEAPER THAN MINING VIRGIN MATERIAL, BUT ONLY IF THE MATERIAL TO BE RECYCLED IS NOT TOO WIDELY DISPERSED. FOR EXAMPLE, IF PRODUCTS MADE FROM IRON AND STEEL, SUCH AS CARS AND TOYS AND THROWN AWAY, BURIED AND WIDELY SCATTERED THE USE OF LABOUR AND ENERGY COSTS INVOLVED IN SEARCHING AND COLLECTING THE OBJECTS MAY BE TOO EXPENSIVE TO MAKE RECYCLING FEASIBLE.
THE CONTINUITY IMPACT OF ITS MINING, PROCESSING AND THE USE IT HAS ON THE ENVIRONMENT. EVEN IF AFFORDABLE SUPPLIES OF A RESOURCE ARE AVAILABLE , ITS USE, AT LEAST IN CERTAIN PURPOSES, MAY HAVE TO BE ABANDONED IF IT THREATENS HUMAN AND OTHER FORMS OF LIFE SOMETIMES THE ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS OF A RESOURCE CAN BE MINIMIZED AND CLEANED UP , BUT THIS COSTS MONEY AND IN SOME CASES THE COST MAY BE SO HIGH THAT THE RESOURCE MAY NOT BE AFFORDABLE.
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