Which are examples of nonrenewable resources?

Which are examples of nonrenewable resources?

• A. Water and Forests
• B. Solar energy
• C. Wood
• D. Metals and Fossil Fuels

Answer: (D)

Nonrenewable resources are those that cannot be replenished on a human time scale because they take millions of years to form and exist in finite amounts. Metals and fossil fuels fit this pattern because deposits of metals like copper and iron, and fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, formed over vast geological time and are being used much faster than they can be replaced. Once these resources are gone, they’re unlikely to be replenished anytime soon. In contrast, water and forests are renewable through natural cycles and regrowth—as long as they’re managed wisely. Solar energy is also considered renewable because the sun continuously provides energy that we can tap without running out. Wood is renewable too, provided forests are sustained and replanted rather than cleared without regard to future growth. So the best example of nonrenewable resources here is metals and fossil fuels.

Nonrenewable resources are those that cannot be replenished on a human time scale because they take millions of years to form and exist in finite amounts. Metals and fossil fuels fit this pattern because deposits of metals like copper and iron, and fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, formed over vast geological time and are being used much faster than they can be replaced. Once these resources are gone, they’re unlikely to be replenished anytime soon.

In contrast, water and forests are renewable through natural cycles and regrowth—as long as they’re managed wisely. Solar energy is also considered renewable because the sun continuously provides energy that we can tap without running out. Wood is renewable too, provided forests are sustained and replanted rather than cleared without regard to future growth.

So the best example of nonrenewable resources here is metals and fossil fuels.