Skip to content

Examples of inexhaustible natural resources

Nature has a large amount of resources that humans make use of. Among all these resources, one of the categories that deserves a special mention due to their importance and, above all, for their usefulness when it comes to being exploited without harming the planet, are those known as “inexhaustible natural resources”. These resources are nothing more than a type of resources that will never be exhausted despite the use of them on a large scale and in an unlimited way. If you want to know more about this type of natural resources so appreciated and important, continue reading AgroCorrn and we will tell you about the examples of inexhaustible natural resources .

You may also be interested in: Renewable resources: what they are and examples
Index
  1. What is an inexhaustible natural resource
  2. Examples of inexhaustible natural resources
  3. Does biomass count as an inexhaustible natural resource?

What is an inexhaustible natural resource

An inexhaustible natural resource is, as its name indicates, a type of resource that is present in nature and that can be used continuously and without limits since its use does not diminish in quantity or quality. In fact, these types of resources are called inexhaustible because, at least from a human perspective, their durability is continuous.

Naturally, when we talk about a resource being inexhaustible, we are referring to the human scale. That is, if we take solar energy as an example (one of the most abundant natural and inexhaustible resources that exist), saying that it is an inexhaustible resource means that human beings can make use of it without having to worry about a possible exhaustion of it. This does not mean that the energy of the sun is infinite. In fact, millions of years from now, when our star runs out of hydrogen fuel (the main chemical element that is constantly burning in the sun and through which light is produced and the heat it emits), the sun will explode in the form supernova and this resource called inexhaustible will be put to an end. However, when we speak of “inexhaustible natural resources” it is done in a virtual way, since it is always referred to a human time scale.

In this way, inexhaustible natural resources are virtually infinite , which means that they are a source of energy that we can consume in an unlimited way since, by their very nature, they are sustainable regardless of the type of use that human hands make of them. .

Likewise, another of the characteristics that define this type of natural resources is that, in all cases, they are energies that, when used, do not produce any type of physical waste . In other words, that they are completely clean energies.

Examples of inexhaustible natural resources

Solar energy

Solar energy, be it photovoltaic (that obtained from sunlight) or thermosolar (that obtained from the sun’s heat), is the most abundant inexhaustible natural resource of all that can be found on Earth. In fact, the action of the sun is directly responsible for atmospheric phenomena such as rain and wind, as well as tides and the presence of liquid water on the planet’s surface. So, in reality, it is the main energy source of any type of energy from inexhaustible natural resources that we have, with the exception of geothermal energy.

Tidal and wave energy

In this case it is the energy that can be produced using the sea, whether it comes from surface waves (wave power) or tidal movement (tidal power). In both cases, the systems used transform the movement of water into electrical energy that can be used by humans to meet their needs.

Hydraulic energy

In this type of resource we are also talking about water but, in this case, it is about the energy that can be obtained through water from rivers and swamps. To take advantage of this natural resource, gravity is used. When the water of the rivers descends through the natural course of the river or through the jump of a waterfall, a turbine is installed that rotates thanks to the passage of the water and, in this way, generates usable electricity. There are different types, in the following article we will explain how mini hydraulic power works .

Wind power

On this occasion, the natural and inexhaustible resource that is used is the wind, which is capable of producing electricity when it is used to make the turbines of the wind turbines move.

Geothermal energy

This natural and inexhaustible resource is the only one that is not directly related to solar activity, and that is because it does not come from the incidence of solar energy on the planet’s surface, but from its internal geological activity. Because the interior of the planet is hot, this heat can be used to generate heat or electrical energy when a geothermal device is located that can take advantage of the heat that emanates from the interior of the planet to the surface. The heart of volcanoes can be an inexhaustible source of energy.

Does biomass count as an inexhaustible natural resource?

Another of the activities that regulates the activity of the sun on the planet’s surface is the photosynthesis of plants, which, broadly speaking, is the engine of the biosphere due to the trophic chain and the oxygen it produces. In addition, as it is a natural process, it seems that, at least in theory, it is inexhaustible. That is, if biomass is obtained from organic matter, it would be at the disposal of a resource that, at least apparently, seems to be postulated as another possible inexhaustible natural resource.

Despite this, the reality is that biomass is an exhaustible resource . This is due to the fact that it is an energy that, if abused, in fact can be depleted, since for its production it would be necessary to expand the space of plantations destined to obtain said fuel, which implies a real physical limit and tangible. In this way, biomass is a good example that there are certain renewable resources that may cease to be renewable if their utilization rate is so high that their renewal is prevented or if, simply, their production capacity does not give more. of itself.

In addition, as mentioned previously, inexhaustible natural resources are completely clean energy sources that do not produce physical waste. This characteristic is not fulfilled in the use of biomass, since during its combustion physical residues such as ash and gases are produced, including CO2, the main greenhouse gas that exists on our planet. . So biomass would definitely be out of any list of inexhaustible natural resources despite constituting a renewable energy.

If you want to read more articles similar to Examples of inexhaustible natural resources , we recommend that you enter our Renewable Energies category .

+ posts

Hello, I am a blogger specialized in environmental, health and scientific dissemination issues in general. The best way to define myself as a blogger is by reading my texts, so I encourage you to do so. Above all, if you are interested in staying up to date and reflecting on these issues, both on a practical and informative level.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *