Nature has a large number of resources that humans make use of. Within all these resources, one of the categories that deserves special mention for its importance and, above all, for its 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 even if they are used on a large scale and in an unlimited way. If you want to know more about this type of highly appreciated and important natural resources, continue reading EcologíaVerde and we will tell you about the examples of inexhaustible natural resources .
What is an inexhaustible natural resource?
An inexhaustible natural resource is, as its name suggests, a type of resource that is present in nature and can be used continuously and without limits, since its use does not decrease its quantity or quality. In fact, this type of resource is called inexhaustible because, at least from a human perspective, its durability is continuous.
Naturally, when we talk about a resource being inexhaustible, we are referring to the human scale . That is to say, if we take solar energy as an example (one of the most abundant and inexhaustible natural resources that exist), saying that it is an inexhaustible resource means that humans can use it without having to worry about its possible depletion. This does not mean that the sun’s energy is infinite. In fact, within millions of years, when our star exhausts its hydrogen fuel (the main chemical element that is constantly burning in the sun and through which the light and heat it emits is produced), the sun will explode in the form of a supernova and this so-called inexhaustible resource will end. However, when we talk about “inexhaustible natural resources” we do so 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 the hand of man makes of them.
Another characteristic that defines 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, they are completely clean energies.
Examples of inexhaustible natural resources
Solar energy
Solar energy, whether photovoltaic (from sunlight) or solar thermal (from the heat of the sun), is the most abundant inexhaustible natural resource of all those 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 source of any type of energy from inexhaustible natural resources that we have available, with the exception of geothermal energy.
Tidal and wave energy
In this case, it is about the energy that can be produced by using the sea, whether it is from surface waves (wave energy) or from the movement of the tides (tidal energy). In both cases, the systems used transform the movement of water into electrical energy that can be used by humans to satisfy their needs.
Hydropower
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 the water of rivers and swamps. To take advantage of this natural resource, gravity is used. When the water from 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 water and, in this way, generates usable electricity. There are different types, in the following article we explain how mini hydraulic energy works .
Wind energy
In this case, the natural and inexhaustible resource used is the wind, which is capable of producing electricity when used to make the turbines of 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 surface of the planet, 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 activity that regulates the activity of the sun on the planet’s surface is plant photosynthesis, which, broadly speaking, is the driving force of the biosphere due to the food chain and the oxygen it produces. Furthermore, since it is a natural process, it seems that, at least in theory, it is inexhaustible. That is to say, if biomass is obtained from organic matter, a resource would be available that, at least apparently, seems to be postulated as another possible inexhaustible natural resource.
However, the reality is that biomass is a depletable resource . This is because it is an energy that, if abused, can indeed be depleted, since its production would require expanding the area of plantations intended to obtain said fuel, which implies a real and tangible physical limit. Thus, biomass is a good example of the existence of certain renewable resources that may cease to be so if their rate of use is so high that their renewal is prevented or if, simply, their production capacity does not give more.
Furthermore, as has already been mentioned, inexhaustible natural resources are completely clean sources of energy that do not produce physical waste. This characteristic is not fulfilled in the use of biomass, since during its combustion physical waste is produced such as ash and gases, including CO2, the main greenhouse gas that exists on our planet. Therefore, biomass would definitely be left out of any list of inexhaustible natural resources despite being a renewable energy source.
