Conservation and Preservation

People who are concerned about the environment often argue about conservation and preservation of natural resources. What is the difference between the two?

Conservation is the sustainable use of our natural resources. Natural resources can be either renewable or non-renewable. Renewable resources like trees involves making sure that we aren't taking more than we are giving back. We have to make sure that we are planting trees at the same rate that we are taking them. It's only fair for our environment and earth for that matter. Non-renewable resources like fossil fuels involves using them accordingly. That means that we only use them when we need to. We have to make sure that we don't waste any of these resources. We have to make sure that we conserve them for future generations to use. Future generations meaning our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Preservation, on the other hand, is keeping these natural resources on their current state, meaning untouched by humans, just like the video I mentioned above. Some say that every living thing has the right to live and preserving rainforests and other natural resources is the best way to go, regardless of their usefulness to humans. Some also say that we are losing so much of what is natural because of farming, mining, industry, tourism, and housing and preserving is the only way we can keep the natural resources we have left.

The question is which side are you inclined to? And is there a way for humans to harvest forest resources in an environmentally friendly way?

Please remember that this is just my opinion. So many others will disagree with me and say that we have to preserve these natural resources and I respect that. We are all entitled to our own opinions.

I am honestly more inclined to conservation but that doesn't mean I don't believe that every living thing has a right to live. We do need those resources but we also have to make sure that we conserve them and like I said, give back what was taken. That's one way of harvesting resources in an environmentally friendly way. All we have to do is make sure that we don't abuse what we have.