What a nonrenewable resources?

Answer 1

Short Answer:

Nonrenewable resources are resources we use and are disappearing and won't be replenished. The important nonrenewable resources are the ones we are running out. Fossil fuels and metals are the ones of concern currently. These can not be created and do not naturally return to their original forms.

Longer Answer:

Nonrenewable resources generally fall into the category of things that were here before Humans were and are disappearing and won't be returning anytime soon.

The most common examples are sources of energy (fossil fuels, fissionable uranium) and metals but those are only the nonliving examples.

Fossil fuels include these.

Oil

Coal

Natural gas

Renewable energy resources include these examples.

Biofuels

Geothermal

Wind

Water (hydroelectric, tidal, etc.)

Metals, some of which are already nearly gone, include these.

Antimony

Indium

Silver

Uranium (Also an energy source.)

Copper

Gold

(Aluminum and iron and other recyclables, like glass, are not on this list because the reason to recycle is more related to saving the energy to mine and manufacture new materials and keeping the old materials out of the landfills.)

Metals can be recycled (uranium has other issues), but not after they have gone into a landfill (e.g. Indium, Antimony). Also, running out can't be solved by just by recycling when the resource is still in use. (You won't recycle the copper wire in your home to build homes for other people.)

Nonrenewable Biological Resources

Of course, the extinction of many species of plants and animals may or may not be considered a "resource," but that happens pretty much every day. Humans are also consuming land for agriculture and losing coral reefs and rain forests. Biodiversity is a very real nonrenewable resource.

Finite Renewable Resources:

Renewable does not mean an unlimited supply. Fresh water is renewable (It rains.), but the unallocated supply is dwindling and we can't really make it rain more than it does. The same for wood (Trees grow.), but it is used faster than it is renewed and renewing more cuts into land for agriculture and biodiversity.

References:

The related link to a BBC article gives a projected timeline for depleting energy and metals plus the depletion of various environmental components, including land for agriculture, coral reefs and rain forests.