The) depletion / exhaustion of natural / mineral resources истощение / исчерпание / хищническая эксплуатация природных / минеральных ресурсов

limited / finite natural / mineral resources ограниченные ресурсы: In a population confined to a particular habitat competition for limited resources is an inevitable feature of life so long as reproduction occurs. | But can we really afford to take such risks with our limited space and natural resources in Britain? | The physical environment is extremely difficult, and natural resources limited. | The world's finite resources must be used wisely.

scarce natural / mineral resources недостаточные / скудные ресурсы: Both countries rely on the river for scarce water resources.

5. raw material(s) [ countable – usually plural ] materials such as coal, oil etc in their natural state, before being treated in order to make things сырье; сырьевой / исходный материал; сырье и материалы; материалы-полуфабрикаты: The cost of our raw materials has risen significantly. | This paper company imports raw materials from North America. | Businessmen looked for profitable markets and new sources of cheap raw materials; the military looked for overseas bases. | Their raw material and energy costs would rise, while being deprived of their previous government subsidies.

6. fossil fuel [ uncountable; countable ] a fuel such as coal, oil, or gas which was underground from plant and animal remains millions of years ago ископаемое топливо: Environmentalists would like to see fossil fuels replaced by renewable energy sources. | The fossil fuels (coal and oil) are finite resources. | Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas will service our needs for some considerable time to come. | The world cannot continue to rely on the burning of fossil fuels for much of its industrial production and transportation. | An obvious and technically achievable alternative to fossil fuel combustion is nuclear fission.

7. coal [ uncountable ] a hard black substance which is dug out of the ground and burnt as fuel to produce heat уголь; каменный уголь: | Today, oil and natural gas have replaced coal and wood in most areas. | Now coal exports are smaller and these docks are less busy. | Gas-fired electricity is cheaper than coal.

to produce / mine (for) coal добывать уголь: It is estimated that the 150 men could produce 10,000 tons of coal a week. | It remains lunacy to produce yet more coal to add to power stations' stockpiles. | How much coal was mined here?

to burn // use / consume coal использовать / потреблять уголь: Then the others will be free to burn the oil and coal that might otherwise be consumed in the nuclear nations. | Much of the coal mined may have been consumed domestically, or used for iron-smelting or lime-burning.

coal production / mining добыча угля: When was the peak period for coal production?

the use // burning / combustion of coal: The excess mortality was attributed to coal mining and the extensive use of soft coal in the mining areas. | They merely pave the way for an increasing proportion of those emissions to come from the burning of imported coal. | The burning of coal, oil and gas to provide energy results in the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

the coal (mining) industry | coal mining угольная промышленность: The Government must be reminded that the average age of the labour force in the coal mining industry is about 30 years. | What of Labour's plans for the future of the coal industry? | There is something about coal mining that seems to brutalize a place.

coal reserves запасы угля: Germany's coal reserves were concentrated in a few large fields.

8. oil | petroleum [ uncountable ] a thick dark smooth liquid from under the ground or the bottom of the sea which is used for making petrol, paraffin, and various chemical substances нефть: We need to do more to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. | This level of imported oil could thus be displaced by the combined use of domestic gas and coal. | Meanwhile world oil demand is rising steadily at around two percent a year. | Oil prices have dropped significantly since May. | Oil exports from former Soviet republics have turned the Bosporus into a pulsing artery of the world's oil supply. | The weight of import dependence on Middle East oil supply has shifted from west to east. | Heat can be provided by oil, gas, or electricity. | Local oil companies want a 10 percent tariff on refined petroleum products and 3 percent duty for imported crude oil. | The gap between low cost and high value makes petroleum a highly political resource.

to drill for oil проводить разведочное бурение в поисках нефти: They might drill for oil and come up dry.