Natural resources are the basis of all wealth, and
without access to many of them we simply die. None of us created this planet,
yet a subset of us have claimed ownership of it.If we are to achieve true
justice, we must correct the inequality in rights to the use of the Earth. Not
only must we be good stewards to the planet, and preserve it for future
generations, but we must be fair to the existing generations as well.
Natural resources are very important to all
communities throughout the world. In
fact, without natural resources, we couldn’t survive! Trees,minerals, water, and animals are all
examples of natural resources. Without them, we would have no food, clothing,
or shelter.
Natural resources are also very important to the
economy of a community. Different communities around the world use the natural
resources around them to make their lives better. In this lesson, we will see how different communities
around the world depend on their natural resources.
Here, in the United States, we have many natural resources. One of these natural resources is coal. We find coal in the ground by digging mines, or mining. Coal has many uses. Coal is burned in some of our power plants to produce electricity. The electricity is used by factories to power machinery and in homes for light and heat. Because it can be used in so many ways, it is important that we take coal from the ground. This creates many jobs. In some small communities, in the states of Kentucky and Pennsylvania for example, coal mining is very important to their economy.
Another very important natural resource that comes
from deep inside the earth is oil. Oil
is used to make gasoline. Think of all
the cars and trucks on the road in this country. Now, imagine the amount of gasoline that is used
to fuel these cars and trucks! Oil is
also used to fuel airplanes, and ships, power machinery, and heat homes. Oil is very important to our country as well
as other countriesaround the world.
The United States does not have enough oil to meet our
needs. Therefore, we must depend on other countries for oil. One of these countries is Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is in the southwestern part of
the continent of Asia. This region of
the world produces lots of oil. Saudi
Arabia exports, or sells, much of this oil to countries like the United States. Oil is very important to the
economy of Saudi Arabia.
Far out in the South Pacific Ocean, lies the tiny
island nation of Samoa. There is nothing but water for great distances in every
direction. Can you guess what Samoa’s
main natural resource is? Fishing, of
course! Fishing is very important to the economy of Samoa. In fact, tuna is Samoa’s main export.
If we travel to the very northern part of our
continent of North America, we’ll find the Inuit people. The Inuit are natives of northern Canada and
Alaska. They live in a very cold and
harsh environment, especially in the winter.
The animals of this region are a very important natural resource to the
Inuit. Hunting large animals such as
moose and caribou provide much of the food for the Inuit. Fish are also an important natural resource. The Inuit can not import their food because
they live so far away from other communities.
Hunting and fishing is necessary in order to survive. It is an important part of their economy.
| Natural Resources: things that are found in nature that people use, such as plants, animals, minerals, and water |
| Minerals: natural materials found in the ground or on the land, that are not living, such as salt and diamonds |
| Economy: all of the buying, selling, and producing of goods and services in a community |
| Coal: black, solid material that is formed over many years by decaying plant matter, burned to produce heat and fuel |
| Mining: digging below the surface of the ground to find valuable minerals |
| Oil: thick, black liquid that comes from plant and animal remains buried under rock millions of years ago, used to make gasoline and to power machines |
| Export: goods that are sold and shipped to another country or place |
| Natives: the first people to live in a certain area |
| Import: goods that are bought or shipped in from another country or place |
Particular areas such as "The rainforest in
Fatu-Hiva" are often characterized by the biodiversity and geodiversity
existent in their ecosystems. Natural resources may be further classified in
different ways. Natural resources are materials and components (something that
can be used) that can be found within the environment. Every man-made product
is composed of natural resources (at its fundamental level).. A natural
resource may exist as a separate entity such as fresh water, and air, as well
as a living organism such as a fish, or it may exist in an alternate form which
must be processed to obtain the resource such as metal ores, oil, and most
forms of energy.
There is much debate worldwide over natural resource
allocations, this is partly due to increasing scarcity (depletion of resources)
but also because the exportation of natural resources is the basis for many
economies (particularly for developed nations).
Classification
There are various methods of categorizing natural
resources, these include source of origin, stage of development, and by their
renewability. These classifications are described below. On the basis of
origin, natural resources may be divided into:- ABiotic – Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere (living and organic material), such as forests and animals, and the materials that can be obtained from them. Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are also included in this category because they are formed from decayed organic material resources may be divided into:
- Abiotic – Abiotic resources are those that come from non-living, non-organic material. Examples of abiotic resources include land, fresh water, air and heavy metals including ores such as gold, iron, copper, silver, etc
- Considering their stage of development, natural resources may be referred to in the following ways:
- Potential resources – Potential resources are those that exist in a region and may be used in the future. For example, petroleum occurs with sedimentary rocks in various regions, but until the time it is actually drilled out and put into use, it remains a potential resource.
-
Actual resources – Actual resources are those that have been surveyed, their quantity and quality determined and are being used in present times. The development of an actual resource, such as wood processing depends upon the technology available and the cost involved.Reserve resources – The part of an actual resource which can be developed profitably in the future is called a reserve resource.Stock resources – Stock resources are those that have been surveyed but cannot be used by organisms due to lack of technology. For example: hydrogen.
- Renewable resources – Renewable resources can be replenished naturally. Some of these resources, like sunlight, air, wind, etc., are continuously available and their quantity is not noticeably affected by human consumption. Though many renewable resources do not have such a rapid recovery rate, these resources are susceptible to depletion by over-use. Resources from a human use perspective are classified as renewable only so long as the rate of replenishment/recovery exceeds that of the rate of consumption.
- Non-renewable resources – Non-renewable resources either form slowly or do not naturally form in the environment. Minerals are the most common resource included in this category. By the human perspective, resources are non-renewable when their rate of consumption exceeds the rate of replenishment/recovery; a good example of this are fossil fuels, which are in this category because their rate of formation is extremely slow (potentially millions of years), meaning they are considered non-renewable. Some resources actually naturally deplete in amount without human interference, the most notable of these being radio-active elements such as uranium, which naturally decay into heavy metals. Of these, the metallic minerals can be re-used by recycling them,[5] but coal and petroleum cannot be recycled
The Importance Of Natural Resources:
Natural resources naturally within environments
(atmosphere, lithosphere, Biosphere &
hydrosphere) that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A
natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity existent in
various ecosystems.
ii. Natural resources are those components of
environment which are inherently created by environment for supporting life.
These resources are very essential for sustaining life on earth.
iii. These resources are available in the form of air,
water, mineral, soil, forest, plant, energy etc. of technology. For example:
hydrogen.The Importance of Natural Resources
Natural
resources naturally within environments (atmosphere, lithosphere, Biosphere
& hydrosphere) that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural
form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity
existent in various ecosystems.
Natural Resources Research Institute
The Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) is
a U.S. based research institute established by the
Minnesota state legislature within the University of Minnesota Duluth. NRRI is
a non-profit applied research organization with a mission to improve the
economy of Minnesota by helping its industries compete in the global
marketplace with improved or new products and more efficient processes.
The institute
helps launch promising small businesses and provides ongoing research and
development assistance. Because Minnesota’s economy relies heavily on natural resource-based
industries (forest products, t aconite ore mining) the institute also focuses
research on understanding problems, and developing tools to solve problems,
that impede the environmentally sound development of the economy. Environmental
program areas include: water resources, land resources, land-water
interactions, and environmental chemistry.
Mission Statement: To foster the economic development
of Minnesota's natural resources in an environmentally sound manner to promote
private sector employment.
Natural Resource Economics
Natural resource economics focuses on the supply,
demand, and allocation of the Earth's natural resources. It's goal is to gain a
better understanding of the role of natural resources in the economy. Learning
about the role of natural resources allows for the development of more
sustainable methods to manage resources and make sure that they are maintained
for future generations.The goal of natural resource economics is to develop an
efficient economy that is sustainable in the long-run .
- Natural resource utilization is regulated through the use of taxes and permits. The government and individual states determine how resources must be used and they monitor the availability and status of the resources. An example of natural resource protection is the Clean Air Act. The act was designed in 1963 to control air pollution on a national level. Regulations were established to protect the public from airborne contaminants that are hazardous to human health. The act has been revised over the years to continue to protect the quality of the air and health of the public in the United States...
Universalization of Natural ResourcesThe third Quranic message relevant for humanity at large is its emphasis on the universality of natural resources. Earth, oceans, skies water, and wind are for the benefit of all. No one can monopolize them for their exclusive use. No one can use their access to these resources to deny others the rights bestowed to them.Thus the Quran states,“It is He Who has created for you all things that are on earth; moreover His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He has perfect knowledge.”
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Agriculture, food, and natural resources workers produce agricultural goods. This includes food, plants, animals, fabrics, wood, and crops. You might work on a farm, ranch, dairy, orchard, greenhouse, or plant nursery. You could also work in a clinic or laboratory as a scientist or engineer.
Careers in this cluster
There are 59 Careers Found in this Cluster
Some agriculture, food, and natural resources workers market, sell, or finance agricultural goods. For example, you might market products made from plants and animals. Or, you might sell services that farmers and ranchers use to improve products. You could also work to conserve natural resources or protect the environment.
Natural resource
Agriculture
Why is Agriculture important ?
For decades, agriculture has been associated with production of essential food crops. At present, agriculture above and beyond farming includes forestry, dairy, fruit cultivation, poultry, bee keeping, mushroom, arbitrary, etc.
Today, processing, marketing and distribution of crops and livestock products etc. are all acknowledged as part of current agriculture.Thus, agriculture could be referred to as the production, processing, promotion and distribution agricultural products. Agriculture plays a critical role in the entire life of a given economy
Agriculture is the backbone of economic system of a given country. In addition to providing food and raw material, agriculture also provides employment opportunities to very large percentage of population.Nature's value & beautyA living countryside is not a luxury but a necessity for the human population; if you let conservation go hang until your pockets are jingling there will be a lot less to conserve - Simon Barnes, columnist, The Times (27.4.2013)
The truly healthy environment is not merely safe but stimulating - William H StewartNo waIf the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man - Albert EinsteinNature is our biggest ally in poverty reduction and achieving human welfare - Tony Juniper, sustainability and environment adviser (2013)We have lost sight of the dependence we have on nature in economics - Tony Juniper, sustainability and environment adviser (2013)
