What Is the Difference Between Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources?
The concepts of renewable and non-renewable resources are often tossed around in the modern world. Some people say that society’s dependence on non-renewable resources is the reason for worker exploitation, many unfair trade practices, and even wars. Other people cite society’s use of non-renewable resources as one of the only ways many technological advances have been achieved so quickly. But to really understand these arguments, we must first understand the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources. Renewable resources are any desirable items found in nature that can be naturally replenished over a useful period of time. That period of time is usually considered to be roughly the same rate that the items are used up. Useful items can be things such as trees for lumber, water for drinking, or fish for eating – so long as they are replenished at the same rate they are taken in.
