Editing Resource depletion (section)

{{Short description|Depletion of natural organic and inorganic resources}}
{{Other uses|Depletion (disambiguation){{!}}Depletion}}
{{Essay-like|date=April 2024}}
[[File:Tar sands in alberta 2008.jpg|thumb|335x335px|[[Athabasca oil sands|Tar sands in Alberta]], 2008. Oil is one of the most used resources by humans.]]
{{Futures studies}}
'''Resource depletion''' occurs when a [[natural resource]] is consumed faster than it can be replenished. The value of a resource depends on its availability in nature and the cost of extracting it. By the law of [[supply and demand]], the [[Scarcity|scarcer]] the resource the more valuable it becomes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rimos |first1=Shaun |last2=Hoadley |first2=Andrew F. A. |last3=Brennan |first3=David J. |date=2014-11-01 |title=Environmental consequence analysis for resource depletion |url= |journal=Process Safety and Environmental Protection |volume=92 |issue=6 |pages=849–861 |doi=10.1016/j.psep.2013.06.001 |bibcode=2014PSEP...92..849R |issn=0957-5820}}</ref> There are several types of resource depletion, including but not limited to: wetland and ecosystem degradation, soil erosion, [[aquifer depletion]], and [[overfishing]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Xu |first1=Yi |last2=Zhao |first2=Fang |date=2023-06-01 |title=Impact of energy depletion, human development, and income distribution on natural resource sustainability |url= |journal=Resources Policy |volume=83 |pages=103531 |doi=10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.103531 |issn=0301-4207 |pmc=10132086 |pmid=37128260|bibcode=2023RePol..8303531X }}</ref> The depletion of wildlife populations is called ''[[defaunation]]''.<ref name="def ant">{{cite journal|last=Dirzo|first=Rodolfo|author2=Hillary S. Young|author3=Mauro Galetti|author4=Gerardo Ceballos|author5=Nick J. B. Isaac|author6=Ben Collen|date=2014|title=Defaunation in the Anthropocene|url=http://www.uv.mx/personal/tcarmona/files/2010/08/Science-2014-Dirzo-401-6-2.pdf|journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]]|volume=345|issue=6195|pages=401–406|doi=10.1126/science.1251817|pmid=25061202|bibcode=2014Sci...345..401D|s2cid=206555761|access-date=2018-06-01|archive-date=2017-05-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511160501/https://www.uv.mx/personal/tcarmona/files/2010/08/Science-2014-Dirzo-401-6-2.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

It is a matter of research and debate how humanity will be impacted and what the future will look like if resource consumption continues at the current rate, and when specific resources will be completely exhausted.