Question

Question 14 (2 points) Choose actions we can take to use our natural resources wisely and not damage them further keep buying as much stuff as possible to promote economic growth use renewable sources of energy plant trees where ever possible, as many as possible buy only necessary things that were made sustainably and are biodegradable (spend the same money on less items of better quality) keep using oil, coal and gas (fossil fuels) as main source of energy

Answer 1

Natural resources can be used wisely, if we-

Use renewable sources of energy (this includes solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, etc. They are non-polluting and serve as a continuous source of energy, unlike non-renewable sources like oil, coal and gas, which are getting depleted with repeated use and also degrading the environment).

Plant trees where ever possible, as many as possible (trees make our environment cleaner, by absorbing harmful gases like carbon dioxide. They produce large amount of oxygen, as a result of which, air quality is improved. They help to hold the soil together, which prevent the soil from being washed off during heavy rain. This also reduces to cost to maintain soil fertility. Besides, they also function to keep the environment cool. Thus, a house surrounded with large number of trees will not require additional cooling mechanisms).

Buy only necessary things that were made sustainably and are biodegradable. (In order to protect natural resources, we should focus on buying limited things, which are actually necessary. This will reduce the pollution that occur during their manufacture. Also, using biodegradable products ensures that when they are thrown away as garbage, they will be easily degraded and will not survive in the environment for a long time. For example, plastic products (non-biodegradable) takes huge amount of time to degrade. Not only do they stay in the environment for a long time, but they also pose a threat to other life forms).  

Thus, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th options represent actions that we can take to protect natural resources from getting depleted.