Natural Resources and Conservation
Introduction to Human Use of Natural Resources
The environment provides materials that are essential for human survival.
Stop and Jot 1:
How can this area be used while keeping it safe?
Answer Concept: Through careful planning and environmental protection to save habitats and animals while utilizing resources like wood, water, and soil.
Defining Key Terms
Natural Resources: These are resources that are found in the environment and are not made by humans.
Product: Something that is made by people.
Conserve: To prevent the loss of something.
Reduce: To use less of a resource.
Reuse: To use something more than one time.
Recycle: To properly dispose of used resources so they can be reprocessed into new products.
Natural Resources in Construction
Construction utilizes a wide variety of natural resources to build structures. The specific choice of materials often depends on the purpose of the building, its location, and the personal preferences of the owner.
Common Materials: Construction uses bricks (made from clay), various metals, and wood.
Safety-First Design:
Concrete Blocks: Houses built with these blocks provide specific protection from tornadoes and hurricanes.
Steel: In areas prone to earthquakes, steel is favored because the metal is both light and strong.
Local Resource Utilization:
People living near forests often build wooden houses.
People living on sedimentary rock frequently build stone houses.
Specific Applications:
Granite: Cut and polished for use as countertops.
Wood: Used for cabinets and furniture.
Rocks: Used for landscaping.
Bamboo: Used for floors and patios.
Stop and Jot 2:
What natural resources are best used to make a house?
Answer Concept: This depends on the environment; for example, wood near forests, stone on sedimentary rock, or steel in earthquake-prone regions.
Natural Resources in Agriculture
Agriculture is considered the easiest industry in which to identify natural resources because it occurs directly within nature.
Vital Growth Resources: Land, water, and sunshine are the three most important resources for crop growth.
Fertilizers: Some fertilizers are themselves natural resources.
Harvested Natural Crops: Humans gather natural resources directly as food, such as truffles and pecans.
Powering Machinery: Oil, natural gas, and coal are utilized to provide power for machinery such as tractors, which are essential for planting and harvesting crops.
Natural Resources in Transportation
Transportation systems rely heavily on energy-providing resources.
Fossil Fuels: Oil and natural gas power the majority of modern transportation modes.
Electricity and Coal: With the rise of electric cars, coal has become increasingly important because it is used to generate the electricity required to charge these vehicles.
Legacy Technology: A few remaining steam-engine-powered trains still rely on coal.
Renewable Energy in Transit:
The Sun: Responsible for solar-powered vehicles.
Wind: Used to move sailboats.
Natural Resources in Product Manufacturing
Many household and industrial products are derived from specific natural resources.
Sea Salt: Packaged for cooking and included in beauty products and food items.
Ground Rocks: Used in beauty products or shaped into tools.
Zinc: Used as an ingredient in sunscreens.
Fish Oil: Included in various medications.
Wood: Used to manufacture physical goods such as rulers, pencils, printer paper, books, and toilet paper.
Metals:
Iron: Used for fitness weights, pots and pans, and fireplace tools.
Aluminum: Used to make soda cans.
Industrial Power: Factories require resources (coal, oil, gas) to generate electricity to power buildings and machinery.
Understanding Conservation of Natural Resources
Conservation is critical because many natural resources require significant time to be replaced.
The Risk of Overuse: If resources are used faster than they can grow or form, society will run out of them.
The Forest Example: If an entire forest is cleared for timber faster than trees can grow back, the forest is destroyed.
Environmental Cycle Disruption: The environment runs on a cycle where resources benefit one another. Disrupting this cycle can lead to:
The buildup of greenhouse gases.
Climate change.
Finding Alternatives: As resources dwindle, scientists must find alternative materials to maintain society without further disrupting the natural cycle.
Stop and Jot 3:
What are some ways to conserve natural resources?
Answer Concept: Reducing use, reusing items, and recycling products.
Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources
Nonrenewable Resources:
Examples: Coal, natural gas, and oil.
Characteristics: They provide power and energy but have a limited supply. Once they are consumed, they cannot be replaced.
Renewable Resources:
Examples: Wood, wind, and solar energy.
Characteristics: These resources will not run out and are generally better for the environment.
Limitations: They can be less reliable. For example, solar power is ineffective in areas with low sunlight.
Focus on Wind Energy:
Wind turbines generate electricity, serving as an alternative to coal and gas.
Feasibility Challenges: They require large open fields and high wind speeds.
Stop and Jot 4:
What is a possible solution to the problem of lack of space for wind turbines?
Answer Concept: Potential solutions include placing them offshore or in remote areas with consistent wind.
Detailed Strategies for Conservation
Waste Statistics: Humans throw away enough garbage to fill approximately garbage trucks ogni day. This wastes both the trash material and the resources used to produce it (such as food).
Reducing: The best way to save resources is to only make the amount that is needed. This saves materials used for the product and the fuel/energy used by garbage trucks and processing machines.
Reusing: Reusing items like clothes and containers uses significantly less energy than manufacturing new products.
Recycling: This method protects habitats and keeps trash out of landfills and oceans.
Landfill Impacts: As landfills reach capacity, new ones must be created, which destroys habitats and causes a "domino effect" on the environment.
Stop and Jot 5:
Give an example of each: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Reduce: Turning off lights to use less electricity.
Reuse: Giving old clothes to someone else instead of throwing them away.
Recycle: Placing aluminum soda cans in a recycling bin so they can be turned into new cans.
STEM Career: Environmental Engineer
Environmental engineers use scientific data to fix hazards and protect the Earth.
Educational Requirements: A Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree.
Median Salary:
Core Responsibilities:
Analyzing data to find ways to fix environmental hazards.
Working with waste treatment plants and pollution control.
Assessing impacts on land, water, and air.
Communicating findings and understanding environmental laws.
Developing ideas to help the environment when needed.
Summarize It (Assessment)
How are renewable resources different from nonrenewable resources?
Correct Answer: B. Renewable resources will not run out.
What are three ways to conserve natural resources?
Correct Answer: C. Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Which project would an environmental engineer most likely work on?
Correct Answer: A. An environmental engineer would study the possible impact a construction company could have on the environment and provide alternative ways to avoid hazards.
Fill in the Blank: Resources that will run out forever are called nonrenewable resources.
Fill in the Blank: By using less water and turning off lights when I leave a room, I can conserve energy and reduce the amount of natural resources used.
Open Response: Describe how you would decrease the amount of trash thrown away in schools.
Answer Concept: Implementing a school-wide recycling program for paper and plastic, encouraging students to use reusable lunch containers instead of disposable bags, and managing cafeteria food portions to reduce food waste.