Natural gas, petroleum and coal are all called fossil fuels because they are made up of organic matter. This matter has decomposed and been compressed by the weight of the earth for millions of years into these forms of compact energy. Besides eventually running out, there are other reasons for cutting down on our use of fossil fuels. 

Burning these substances creates a lot of usable energy- that’s where we get most of our heat and electricity- but it also creates:

• Acid rain and snow 
• Smog and air pollution
• Excess carbon dioxide which is believed to enhance global climate change.

For years alternative forms of energy (utilizing resources which are unlimited or renewable) have been explored.  You can now find areas of the world where electricity is largely generated through the use of wind, solar or water power. 

We use plenty of other natural resources each day including water, wood (a lot of that in the form of paper), fruits and vegetables, metals, rocks and minerals, etc.  We also are manufacturing a lot of other materials which eventually get discarded as waste.   

You’ve probably heard them a million times, but it’s the three “R’s” that make the difference between a wasteful lifestyle and a conscientious one. Almost all the ways in which you can help conserve our natural resources fall into one of these categories:

• Reduce – using less of a certain resource to begin with.
• Reuse – finding other ways to use items rather than just throwing them out.
• Recycle – breaking items down so that they can be made into something new.