NCERT Grade 8: Natural Resources and Their Use

When Nature Becomes a Resource

• Definition of a Resource: Nature becomes a resource only when human beings find a use for its components. A substance is not a resource by itself; it becomes one through the application of human knowledge, technology, and skill.
• Criteria for Resources:
  • Utility: The substance must satisfy a human need or have some use.
  • Value: Things become resources only when they have a value. This value can be economic (e.g., minerals, timber) or aesthetic (e.g., a beautiful landscape).
• Transformation Process: Human beings are the most important resource because their ideas, knowledge, and discoveries lead to the creation of more resources. For example, the discovery of fire led to the practice of cooking, and the invention of the wheel resulted in modern transport systems.

Categories of Natural Resources

• By Level of Development and Use:
  • Actual Resources: Those whose quantity is known and which are being used in the present. Examples include the dark soils of the Deccan plateau in India or the petroleum in West Asia.
  • Potential Resources: Those whose entire quantity may not be known and are not being used at present because the technology required is not yet advanced enough. For example, high-speed winds were a potential resource 200 years ago but are now an actual resource in places like the Netherlands and parts of Gujarat.
• By Origin:
  • Abiotic Resources: Non-living things such as soils, rocks, and minerals.
  • Biotic Resources: Living things such as plants and animals.
• By Distribution:
  • Ubiquitous Resources: Resources found everywhere, like the air we breathe ($O_2$ and $N_2$).
  • Localized Resources: Resources found only in certain places, like copper and iron ore.

Resources Essential for Life

• Air: Essential for the survival of all living organisms. Humans and animals need oxygen ($O_2$) for respiration, while plants require carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) for photosynthesis.
• Water: Necessary for drinking, sanitation, agriculture, and industry. Fresh water is a tiny fraction of the total water on Earth (only about $2.7 \%$), making it a precious resource.
• Soil: Provides the medium for plant growth and supports various forms of life. It is formed over thousands of years through the weathering of rocks.
• Sunlight: The primary source of energy for the planet, driving the water cycle and providing the energy needed for photosynthesis.

Resources of Material and Energy

• Resources for Materials:
  • Minerals: Naturally occurring substances with a definite chemical composition. They provide the raw materials for industries (e.g., aluminum from bauxite, iron from iron ore).
  • Forests: Provide timber, fruits, resins, and medicinal plants.
• Resources for Energy:
  • Conventional Sources: These include firewood and fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, and natural gas. They have been in common use for a long time.
  • Non-conventional Sources: These include solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy, and nuclear power.

Renewable Resources and Ecosystem Services

• Renewable Resources: These are resources that can be renewed or replenished quickly. Examples include solar and wind energy. However, careless use of certain renewable resources like water, soil, and forests can affect their stock.
• Ecosystem Services: These are the benefits humans obtain from the natural environment and healthy ecosystems. They are categorized into:
  • Provisioning Services: Products obtained from ecosystems (e.g., food, water, raw materials).
  • Regulating Services: Benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes (e.g., climate regulation, water purification, pollination).
  • Supporting Services: Services necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services (e.g., nutrient cycling, soil formation).
  • Cultural Services: Non-material benefits obtained from ecosystems (e.g., spiritual enrichment, recreation, aesthetic values).

Non-renewable Resources

• Definition: These are resources that have a limited stock. Once exhausted, they take thousands of years to be renewed or replenished (much longer than a human life span).
• Examples: Coal, petroleum, and natural gas.
• Extraction Impacts: The extraction of non-renewable resources often leads to environmental degradation, such as habitat destruction and pollution.

Distribution of Natural Resources and the Natural Resource Curse

• Distribution Patterns: The distribution of natural resources is highly unequal across the globe because it depends on physical factors like terrain, climate, and altitude.
• Results of Uneven Distribution: This inequality often leads to trade dependencies, economic disparities between nations, and sometimes geopolitical conflicts.
• The Natural Resource Curse (The Paradox of Plenty): This refers to the phenomenon where countries with an abundance of non-renewable natural resources (like minerals and fuels) tend to have less economic growth, less democracy, and worse development outcomes than countries with fewer natural resources. This is often due to mismanagement, corruption, and a lack of investment in other economic sectors.

Stewardship and Responsible Use of Resources

• Stewardship: This is the ethical responsibility to manage and protect our natural resources. It involves the wise use of resources to ensure they are available for future generations.
• Restoration and Regeneration:
  • Restoration: The process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded or destroyed.
  • Regeneration: Helping renewable resources like forests and groundwater stocks to replenish themselves through activities like reforestation and rainwater harvesting.

Case Study: Overexploitation of Underground Water in Punjab

• The Context: Punjab is known as the granary of India, but its intensive agricultural practices have led to a crisis.
• The Issue: The massive extraction of groundwater for irrigation, particularly for water-intensive crops like paddy, has caused the water table to drop at an alarming rate.
• Impact: In many districts, the rate of extraction is much higher than the rate of recharge. This has led to the drying up of wells and has forced farmers to dig deeper, increasing costs and threatening future food security.

Case Study: The Case of Cement

• Resource Use: Cement production requires limestone, which is a non-renewable mineral resource.
• Environmental Impact: Mining limestone involves the clearing of land and destruction of habitats. The manufacturing process of cement is also highly energy-intensive and releases significant amounts of $CO_2$ into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
• Implication: This case highlights the need for more sustainable building materials and more efficient production techniques to reduce the environmental footprint.

Case Study: Sikkim - A Model for Sustainability

• The Initiative: Sikkim became the first state in the world to grow $100 \%$ organic.
• Approach: By banning chemical fertilizers and pesticides, Sikkim has restored its soil health and preserved its biodiversity.
• Result: This model shows how a region can use its natural resources responsibly while improving the livelihoods of its people and protecting the environment. This is an example of strong resource stewardship.

Responsible and Judicious Use of Energy

• The Problem: Increasing global demand for energy is leading to the rapid depletion of fossil fuels and rising environmental pollution.
• Judicious Use Strategies:
  • Efficiency: Using machines and appliances that consume less energy to perform the same task.
  • Conservation: Simple actions like turning off lights when not in use and using public transport.
  • Switching to Renewables: Moving away from coal and oil toward solar, wind, and hydrothermal power to ensure a sustainable energy future.