“Our physical health, our social happiness,
and our economic well-being will be sustained only
by all of us working in partnership as thoughtful, effective stewards of our natural resources.”
~ Ronald Reagan
Natural resources are any product that is manufactured by nature that is also used or consumed by humans. Humans require water, air, food, and sunlight, which are all natural resources. Most of human existence relies on natural resources.
Food: Not just the food itself, but the conditions for growing, collecting, hunting or harvesting food.
Raw materials: A great diversity of materials including wood, rock, biofuels, and fibers from wild or cultivated plant and animal species.
Freshwater: Not just the water itself, but the nutrient cycling, water cycling, heat regulation, and habitats for other resources.
Medicinal resources: Around 70 percent of all new drugs introduced in the United States in the past 25 years have been derived from natural products. Nature provides a variety of plants and mushrooms which offer effective cures for many kinds of health problems. As well as pharmaceuticals, they are used in popular and traditional medicine.
As with all resources, we need to live within our means by using renewable resources in a manner that they replenish at a higher rate than we use. This assures that the resources will last for the foreseeable future.