The document discusses different types of natural resources: 1) Renewable resources like trees and fish that can replenish themselves. 2) Non-renewable resources like fossil fuels and minerals that are used up permanently. 3) Flow resources like fresh water, wind, and tides that exist due to natural processes regardless of human use. Most natural resources require processing before human use, from cutting down trees to weaving fabric to modern petroleum extraction and plastic production. The level of processing depends on the technology available.

1. Types of Natural
Resources
“Nothing in nature is a
resource. Some things
become resources.”
Anonymous

2. Resources are Life
• Air, water, soil: we must breathe, eat and
have shelter to live.
• To meet our “needs” and “wants” we use
resources in many different ways.
• Natural resources: material that comes from
our natural environment (raw)
• In economics: needs = demands; wants:
supply

3. Types of Natural Resources
a) Renewable resources
b) Non- renewable resources
c) Flow resources

4. Renewable Resources
• Can replace themselves once they have
been used.
e.g. trees in a forest; crops; natural fish
supplies
THESE RESOURCES REGROW OR
RENEW THEMSELVES IN A SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME
Wildlife
Vegetation
Soils

5. Non- renewable Resources
• Gone once they are used
e.g. minerals such as gold, iron, nickel;
fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum
CAN ONLY BE CREATED UNDER VERY
SPECIFIC CONDITIONS
Petroleum
Natural
Gas
Coal

6. Flow Resources
• Replaced by natural actions whether
humans use them or not
e.g. fresh water flowing through streams
and rivers because of precipitation;
ocean currents
EXIST B/C OF NATURAL SYSTEMS AND
NATURAL PROCESSES
Solar
Energy
Fresh water
Waves,
Tides
Air
Wind

7. Classify this resource!

10. Can resources overlap?
Can a resource be a combination of two of
the three types? YES.
e.g. trees that can’t be grown back b/c of
farming activities can be classified as a
non-renewable resource
Other examples: fish and minerals.
Explain?

11. Refer to your textbook-
Page 166, Figure 10.3
Do you remember what a Venn diagram
represents? Use your knowledge of this
graphic organizer to understand its
contents.

12. Fact File
- People in richer parts of the
country use the most
resources.
- In Canada, each individual uses
up to 85 tonnes of natural
resources per year!
- That’s more than 300 large

14. You are important 
• Recycling metals
• Aluminum pop cans are made from bauxite,
a mineral dug from the ground.
• NOT recycling pop cans means that the
bauxite is rapidly being used up, and will be
gone forever!
• It also means that more energy (money and
human/machine power) must be used to
process the aluminum needed to replace the
pop cans.

15. Recycling metals
• Saves valuable non-renewable minerals
and energy
• It helps protect our natural environment

18. Almost all natural resources
must be changed before we
use them.
This is called PROCESSING.
e.g. trees, iron ore, fish, crude oil.
Refer to pg. 168 or your textbook, Figure
10.7
------------------------------------
-------------------------
Figure 10.8
Looking at the four pictures, can you tell the

19. Processing Resources
E.g. A pair of blue jeans
Step 1: cotton is grown and picked
Step 2: cotton transported to mill and woven
together to make thread
Step 3: Large machines weave threads together
to make fabric
Step 4: cloth is dyed blue or black
Step 5: shipped to a clothing manufacturer
Step 6: fabric cut into shapes, sewn together,
labels are attached- jeans shipped to store

20. Advanced Technology
- Humans have learned over time how to
process our natural resources to better
meet our needs.
- As technology changes, sop does our
use for natural resources.

21. E.g. CLOTHING
(Figure 10.9)
Early: raw materials in environment. Animal
skins, leaves, and bark. Processing:
cleaning and sharpening materials.
~ Caveman/woman style clothing~

22. E.g. CLOTHING
(Figure 10.9)
Middle: weaves fabric out of plants material
such as cotton and flax, or animal
products like wool. Needs some
processing of raw materials.
~ Early settlers & fur traders~

23. E.g. CLOTHING
(Figure 10.9)
Modern: makes fabrics and coverings out
of human-made materials such as nylon.
Raw materials include petroleum (which
plastic is made from). Needs A LOT of
processing!
~ Astronaut~