Sun Largest source of light and heat. Provision of solar energy. Global warming as a result of destruction of ozone layer.
Fossil fuels Natural fuel e.g. gas and coal formed from living things remains. Alternative source of light and heat energy. Overuse of the same is leading to fast depletion.
Animal life Living organisms Reared for food, recreation and transport. Poaching of certain species is quickly leading to their extinction.
Water Transparent fluid that constitutes around 78% of total earth surface. Universal solvent. Source of Hydroelectric Power. Cleaning agent. Pollution by addition of contaminants such as factory wastes and sewage.
Plant life Living organisms that mostly make their own food. Source of food. Act as windbreakers. Source of timber. Rainfall attraction. Rapid deforestation is decreasing the number of plants at an alarming rate.
Air Mixture of gases fond freely in the atmosphere. Supports life i.e. oxygen. Source of heat energy such as methane. Used to turn windmills to generate electric power. Pollution through factory wastes. Release of dangerous compounds into the atmosphere such as CFCs.
Minerals Inorganic naturally occurring substances mostly with a monetary value. Ornamental value. Economic significance. Over mining is leading to their depletion.
From the table above, the most common way in which the natural resources are endangered is by overuse and hence inevitable depletion. The term sustainable use therefore, refers to the ability to continue using these resources indefinitely without having to worry about them running out. Coming up with sustainable use of these natural resources is the most significant way of ensuring that we gain most from them. The first and most obvious way of ensuring sustainability is through preservation and using these resources sparingly. Many are the times we overuse these resources for no good reason instead of devising alternative means. For example, instead of using fossil fuels which are rapidly decreasing as a source of heat energy, we could use the sun which is abundant and freely available CITATION Che08 \l 1033 (Jakab, 2008).
Secondly, sustainable use can be enhanced by conservation method. Conservation can be done by minimizing pollution or even avoiding it altogether where possible. The main and most common source of pollution is factories. Strict laws and penalties should be in place to keep these factories from polluting the environment. Factories also need to come up with ways of treating their wastes before releasing them in such a way that they wont contaminate water and air.
Thirdly, there should be more awareness created on the need of sustainable use of natural resources. Although ignorance is no defense, the government and other related organizations should take it upon them to educate the people in details concerning the same. People should be advised on the appropriate use of natural resources and its benefit. This way a lot of wastage will be minimized hence ensuring a steady supply CITATION Lou10 \l 1033 (Spilsbury, 2010).
According to the good book, God gave man dominion over earth. In the book of Genesis 1:28, God blessed Adam and Eve by giving them the power to rule over the fish of the sea and birds of the ocean. He gave them sovereign power over everything and told them that everything that was on the face of the earth was theirs for taking. Trees and fruit yielding seeds were to be food for them. However, this dominion given by the Supreme Almighty does not necessarily mean we misuse the natural resources.
References
BIBLIOGRAPHY Jakab, C. (2008). Natural resources. North Mankato: Smart Apple Media.
Spilsbury, L. (2010). Natural resources. Chicago: Heinemann Library.
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