Earth Science

Confusing a Renewable Resource with an Inexhaustible One

Students call any resource that can be replaced, like trees or groundwater, inexhaustible.

Quick check

Why students make it

Students often think renewable means it will never run out. They miss that renewable resources can be used faster than nature replaces them.

The rule done right

A renewable resource can be replaced by natural processes on a human time scale, but it can still be depleted. An inexhaustible resource is available in a continuous supply that human use does not significantly reduce, such as sunlight or wind.

Related resources

natural-resourcesrenewable-energysustainability