Why Should We Conserve Natural Resources?

water

Water is one of the essential resources for life. In fact, life would not have evolved without water on earth Natural Resources. In the search for extraterrestrial life, NASA emphasizes finding signs of water on distant planets. This is because water contains all the right organic molecules – molecules which are deemed necessary for life.

Furthermore, the earth is the only planet in our solar system where water exists in a natural liquid state. In fact, water covers more than 71% of the earth’s surface area. This translates to around 325 quintillion gallons of water (325000000000000000000) in the ocean. So why should we still conserve water?

Of all of the water on the earth’s surface, 96.5 per cent is held by oceans. The remaining is locked up in icecaps and glaciers. Therefore, less than 1% of fresh water is available in lakes, rivers and streams. Some countries do not have access to these freshwater sources; hence water becomes a very scarce resource. Moreover, seawater, though abundant, is unfit for human consumption or any other industrial applications. The processes to purify seawater is also prohibitively expensive and impractical for many countries; hence, we must conserve water.

Forests

Forests are considered as a crucial part of the earth’s ecosystem. It is also home to many animals, some of which are critically endangered. When forests are cut down, it can cause animals to encroach on inhabited areas. It can also cause many ecosystems to become imbalanced.

Moreover, forests are considered as natural carbon sinks, which means they absorb more carbon dioxide than they let out. This means trees adept at controlling our carbon footprint. If carbon emissions are left unchecked, they can have disastrous effects on the global climate. Hence, conservation of forests must be a top priority for every nation.

Oil and Natural Gas

Oil and natural gas are non-renewable resources, which means they cannot be replenished in a short period of time if exhausted. These resources are formed when plants and animals decompose under immense heat and pressure over millions of years. Moreover, oil and natural gas are the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions can accelerate the rate of global warming, leading to many climatic repercussions. If left unchecked, average global temperatures will continue to rise, and ecosystems will become imbalanced. It can also affect human health, causing a rise in mortality rates. Hence, we must be very frugal in using oil and natural gas. Alternatively, we must think about shifting to more eco-friendly and sustainable sources of energy.

In conclusion, We must conserve our natural resources at all cost. Some natural resources have more of an impact on our world than others; nevertheless, all these resources must be used sparingly. If we fail to do so, the repercussions can be rather severe- for all life on earth – including humans.

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