Final answer:
All natural resources need to be conserved because they will soon get exhausted. Nonrenewable resources are being depleted much faster than they can be naturally replaced, and even renewable resources can become finite if not sustainably managed. Adopting practices like Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle is crucial to prolonging the lifespan of these essential resources.
Step-by-step explanation:
All natural resources need to be conserved because they will soon get exhausted. Natural resources are any resources, be they renewable like trees and solar energy, or nonrenewable like fossil fuels and precious metals, that originate from the Earth. Despite the renewable label, any resource can become finite if not managed sustainably. Nonrenewable resources, such as petroleum, coal, natural gas, and even nuclear power, are natural resources that exist in fixed amounts. These resources take millions to billions of years to form, and we are depleting them much faster than they can be replaced.
Fossil fuels will not power civilization indefinitely; a significant portion of our initial supply has been consumed in just 200 years, implying that they will be depleted long before 10,000 years from now. Moreover, a steady decline of resources like forests, fisheries, freshwater, and species populations can lead to their eventual loss, which may be critical for our survival. Notably, growth that relies on the extraction of finite resources is not sustainable. Consequently, we must adopt principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to make these resources last as long as possible.
If we continue to exploit these resources without restriction, we'll reach a point where the extraction rates are so high relative to their abundance that continued use will become impossible. Add to this the environmental pollution that may accumulate over time, and we have a scenario where failure to conserve may lead to dire consequences. Hence, conserving natural resources is essential not just because they can be costly or will decay, but because they are indeed exhaustible, and their depletion can affect the very stability of human civilization.