INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL RESOURCES
Ever
since the earth was inhabited, humans and other life forms have depended on
things that exist freely in nature to survive. These things include water (seas
and fresh water), land, soils, rocks, forests (vegetation), animals (including
fish), fossil fuels and minerals. They are called Natural Resources and are the
basis of life on earth.
All these mentioned above are natural, and they exist in nature. No human created them. We tap into their supply to survive and also to function properly. Natural resources are all connected in a way. Therefore if one is taken away, it will affect the supply or quality of all others. For example, if water is eliminated from an area, the vegetation, soils, animals and even the air in that area will be affected negatively.
Below is a simple illustration of some great things that we get from some natural resources.
Ever
since the earth was inhabited, humans and other life forms have depended on
things that exist freely in nature to survive. These things include water (seas
and fresh water), land, soils, rocks, forests (vegetation), animals (including
fish), fossil fuels and minerals. They are called Natural Resources and are the
basis of life on earth.All these mentioned above are natural, and they exist in nature. No human created them. We tap into their supply to survive and also to function properly. Natural resources are all connected in a way. Therefore if one is taken away, it will affect the supply or quality of all others. For example, if water is eliminated from an area, the vegetation, soils, animals and even the air in that area will be affected negatively.
Below is a simple illustration of some great things that we get from some natural resources.
Natural resources can be consumed directly or indirectly. For instance, humans
depend directly on forests for food, biomass, health, recreation and increased
living comfort. Indirectly forests act as climate control, flood control, storm
protection and nutrient cycling.
Raw materials
Sometimes, natural resources can be used as raw materials to produce something. For instance, we can use a tree from the forest to produce timber. The timber is then used to produce wood for furniture or pulp for paper and paper products. In this scenario, the tree is the raw material.
Every item in your home was made from a raw material that came from a natural resource. The tea mug, electricity at home, bread, clothes, you name them: each of them came from a natural resource.
Natural resources come in many forms. It may be a solid, liquid or gas. It may also be organic or inorganic. It may also be metallic or non-metallic. It may be renewable or non-renewable. With 7 billion people on the planet – theoretically from today – there will be an inevitable increase in the demand on the world's natural resources. Here are six already under severe pressure from current rates of consumption:
Raw materials
Sometimes, natural resources can be used as raw materials to produce something. For instance, we can use a tree from the forest to produce timber. The timber is then used to produce wood for furniture or pulp for paper and paper products. In this scenario, the tree is the raw material.
Every item in your home was made from a raw material that came from a natural resource. The tea mug, electricity at home, bread, clothes, you name them: each of them came from a natural resource.
Natural resources come in many forms. It may be a solid, liquid or gas. It may also be organic or inorganic. It may also be metallic or non-metallic. It may be renewable or non-renewable. With 7 billion people on the planet – theoretically from today – there will be an inevitable increase in the demand on the world's natural resources. Here are six already under severe pressure from current rates of consumption:
1. Water
Freshwater
only makes 2.5% of the total volume of the world's water, which is about 35
million km3. But considering 70% of that freshwater is in the form of ice and
permanent snow cover and that we only have access to 200,000km3 of freshwater
overall, it isn't surprising that demand for water could soon exceed supply.
The Food
and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations is predicting that
by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with
absolute water scarcity.
2. COAL
This has
the largest reserves left of all the fossil fuels, but as China and other
developing countries continue to increase their appetite for coal, demand could
finally outstrip supply. As it is, we have enough coal to meet 188 years of
global production.
Coal is also the major source of air pollutant in the
world so there is much discussion about regulating its usage. The problem is it
is one of the cheapest sources of fuel for industrial applications.
3. PHOSPHORUS
Without
this element, plants cannot grow. Essential for fertiliser, phosphate rock is
only found in a handful of countries, including the US, China and Morocco. With
the need to feed 7 billion people, scientists from the Global Phosphorus Research
Initiative predict we could run out of phosphorus in 50 to 100
years unless new reserves of the element are found.
4. RARE EARTH ELEMENTS
Scandium
and terbium are just two of the 17 rare earth minerals that are used in
everything from the powerful magnets in wind turbines to the electronic
circuits in smartphones. The elements are not as rare as their name suggests
but currently 97% of the world's supply comes from China and they can restrict
supplies at will. Exact reserves are not known.
5. NATURAL GAS
Natural gas reserves
are doing only slightly better than oil, it is estimated that there is enough
to last for 60 years. Gas is a much cleaner fuel source than oil, which has led
to an increased level of consumption of it as an alternative fuel, but it still
stands to run out quickly.
6. SOIL
Another important natural resource is soil. Soil is
composed of many different particles and nutrients in the soil helps plants
grow. Apart from this, soil can also be used to provide shelter. A pile of
garbage along with some soil when placed in worm compost bin, creates nutrient rich soil that
helps in growth of plants and makes them healthy.
7. IRON
Iron is also in limited supply. It is made from
elements such as silica which then have to be heated to create the pig iron
that industrialization depends on. Iron was the most important natural resource
on earth during ancient ages. It allowed people at that time to build stronger
weapons, better transportation and taller buildings. Both iron and steel are
still used in modern day industries.
8. Oil
The fear
of reaching peak oil continues to haunt the oil industry. The BP Statistical Review of World Energy in June measured
total global oil at 188.8 million tonnes, from proved oil resources .This is
only enough to oil for the next 46.2 years, should global production remain at
the current rate.
9. AIR
Clean
air is necessary for the existence of life on this planet. It is essential for
the existence of plants, animals and wildlife. It is important to reduce air
pollution as polluted air degrades the environment and can enter our body and
can cause health related problems. There are number of ways to keep the air
clean and reduce air pollution like riding bus instead of using your own
vehicle, carpooling etc. Read here more about causes and effects of air pollution.
10.
OTHER MINERALS
Other minerals like gypsum, bauxite, phosphate,
bentonite, mica, titanium, zirconium are found in sea beds along the coastal
plains. Rare earth elements like scandium and terbium are two of the earth
powerful minerals that are used in wind turbines and electronic circuits in
smartphones. Coastal plains contains deposits of potassium carbonate and rare
elements like cerium and neodymium.
CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
The air we breathe and the light we get from the sun are available in
unlimited quantity. But what about coal, forest, and petroleum? The stock of
these resources is limited. The quantity of these resources is depleting day by
day. Resources Natural Artificial (e.g. electricity) Exhaustible Inexhaustible (e.g.
solar energy, wind, rainfall, tidal energy) Renewable Non-renewable (e.g. wind,
water, forests) (e.g. coal, petroleum, iron, biological species) l
Inexhaustible Resources The resources which cannot be exhausted by human
consumption and other uses, are called inexhaustible resources. These include
energy sources like solar radiation, wind power, water power (flowing streams)
and tidal power, and substances like sand, clay, air, water in oceans, etc. l
Exhaustible Resources On the other hand, there are some resources, which are
available in limited quantities and are going to be exhausted as a result of
continuous use. These are called
exhaustible resources. For example, the stock of coal in the earth is limited
and one day there will be no more coal available for our use. Petroleum is
another important exhaustible resource. Renewable Resources Some of the exhaustible
resources are naturally regenerated after consumption and are known as
renewable resources. e.g. The living beings (both animals and plants) reproduce
and can thus, replace the dying or killed individuals. However, if the
consumption of these resources exceeds the rate of regeneration they may also
get totally exhausted. Some examples are fresh water, fertile soil, forest
(yielding wood and other products), vegetation, wildlife, etc.
ACTIVITIES
Earth Natural Resources
ACTIVITY: Read the information provided in the article and complete with important facts of each Earth natural resources by clicking the link
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