Human culture has advanced over the centuries. The craving that humankind has to make their lives easier has increased the need for more energy in the form of raw materials. The demand for raw materials has increased in leaps and bounds and thus the issue of energy resource depletion. Depletion takes place when resources are taken at a faster rate than the rate they are being replenished.
Out of the advanced culture, there arise many factors that lead to depletion of natural resources. Among them is overpopulation. The human population has been increasing at a faster rate over the past centuries. It will continue increasing as the centuries go by. The earth now harbors over seven billion people. The increase in population increases the demand consequently. Overconsumption of resources due to greed is one of the unnecessary causes of energy resources depletion. Loss of biodiversity due to ecosystem destruction and deforestation has been another cause of depletion of energy resources. Mineral mining and erosion are another cause. Industrial and technological advancement has not only depleted but also polluted the environment.
The major energy resources that have been depleted adversely includes water, coal, oil, natural gas among others. Humans depend on the energy resources to survive, and they can’t do without them- there is no debate about that. As humans continue depleting the resources without putting on efforts of renewing them, have they ever thought of what will happen if they become completely depleted? How will they survive? How will they run the industries and the technologies they are creating and what would be the essence of having them, anyway?
Humans forget that the formation of energy resources takes millions of years, for instance, fossil fuel. Most of these resources are non-replenishable or non-renewable once they are depleted. This is one of the main reasons why humans should consider using energy resources carefully. As mentioned earlier, humans depend fully on the natural resources; energy resources are some of the natural resources. Energy resources replenish the energy reserves of humans as a form of food. Deforestation is slowly turning the world into a desert and making the earth uninhabitable. There is less or no plant life in the deserts which are the main sources of food for the humans. Without food, there is no life.
Industrialization has led to pollution in the form of carbon emission and effluents. Effluents are polluting water resources and killing aquatic life. Water is life, and there is no debate about that. Most of the aquatic life contributes positively to the ecosystem. Disturbance of ecosystem means death. Carbon emissions together with desertification are leading to global warming which is rendering the earth uninhabitable. It requires the energy to drive the technology or industries that humans have invested a lot in. This could be the main concern of the depletion of energy resources, but if they want their innovations to be successful and continue making their lives easier, then they should think twice about how they are using the energy resources.
Energy resources should be used carefully for simple reasons-to continue existing! The next generation should be another reason for conserving energy reserves. There will be no life on earth without the energy resources. To continue existing or living or surviving for the lack of a better term, humans are obliged to carefully using the energy resources.
