Why the conservation of resources is needed?

Natural resources are limited on earth, so conserving them makes sense if we want to continue society in a way we are used to.

• There is only a finite amount of coal, oil, gas and other energy sources. When these sources run out humans must come up with an alternative solution and ensure we are not reliant on these sources. This looks a long way off considering how dependent we are on electricity in almost all aspects of our lives.
• The process of reducing consumption will in turn conserve energy. This can be done on a personal level and with the encouragement of governments and corporations.
• Energy is being wasted constantly at all levels, from simply leaving a light turned on, or a TV on standby, to bigger considerations like the number of international flights that cross our skies.
• Individuals can see the benefits of reducing inefficiency by enjoying the resulting reduced bills. Some companies now provide meters that show exactly how much you spend with particular appliances.
• Companies can see an increase in profit through reducing inefficiency at all levels and this can be achieved by encouraging home working or greener office policies.

Other examples of how we are over consuming can be seen with the destruction of natural rainforests and over hunting and fishing of livestock throughout the world. It has been reported that fish stocks are being depleted at an unprecedented rate but with the growing population, demand is high and commercially, it is difficult to see how a free market will regulate this.
Sometimes it is necessary to see the bigger picture rather than concentrate on the bottom line and profit margin the whole time but this is not the natural state for most businesses.