Why is conservation of resources important?

Resources come in two varieties: nonrenewable and renewable.

Like the processes that produce oxygen and carbon dioxide, renewable resources undergo cycles and are repeatedly reused. They undergo a transformation and regenerate over time.

Without resource conservation, humans can quickly deplete all of their resources, which means that once they are used, they are never again. Non-renewable resources include minerals, fossil fuels, and other materials that, once they are used, cannot be recovered. These resources take millions of years to form and accumulate, but only a few years to use up completely.

Because there is a limited supply of resources in nature, we must conserve them.

Conservation of resources is important to sustain ecosystems, meet current and future human needs, reduce environmental impact, and mitigate climate change.