Environmental alarmist Paul Ehrlich made the mistake of accepting the challenge. Even the unadjusted prices were lower. Julian Simon kept his offer to bet open until the end of his life. There were no other takers. Because he understood that, strictly speaking, there are no natural resources.
Nature provides man with lots of variegated stuff.
But stuff is only a potential. To transform it into a resource, a creative person must first stamp it with a human purpose. People create resources. The ultimate resource is human intelligence. If individuals are free to think and create, we will have an unending supply of resources.