Any resource that is of economic interest and available for eventual economic extraction from the earth’s crust is called a mineral resource. Any resource that can produce heat, power life, move objects and produce electricity is called an energy resource.

While mineral resources provide the basic raw materials required by human society for development, energy resources provide the energy required for the functioning of human society. Like all resources, these are unevenly distributed throughout the world.

With uneven distribution comes uneven usage. These resources are also finite in nature. They have been formed over several millennia. Rapid exploitation of these resources for the development and progress of the complex modern society is depleting them at an alarming rate.

It has already been established that it takes millions of years for a viable mineral resource deposit to form. Same with conventional non-renewable energy resources. There is a huge disparity between the consumption rate and the replenishment rate of said resources. And this creates the need for the conservation of said resources.

If the humankind uses up the finite resources in one lifetime, the future generations will suffer. Without available resources, the economy will come to a halt leading to a halt in development and overall lowering of human living conditions.