The Implication Ofhuman Activities on Natural Resources

1182 Words5 Pages
THE IMPLICATIONS OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON NATURAL RESOURCES WHAT ARE NATURAL RESOURCES? Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by humanity, in a natural form. Natural resources are derived from the environment. Some of them are essential for our survival while most are used for satisfying our needs. 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. Some examples of natural resources and the ways we can use them are listed in the table below. Natural Resource Products or Services Air Wind energy, tires Animals Foods (milk, cheese, steak, bacon) and clothing (wool sweater, silk shirt, leather belt) Coal Electricity Minerals Coins, wire, steel, aluminum cans, jewelry Natural Gas Electricity, heating Oil Electricity, fuel for cars and airplanes, plastic Plants Wood, paper, cotton clothing, fruits, vegetables Sunlight Solar power, photosynthesis Water Hydroelectric energy, drinking, cleaning CATEGORIES OF NATURAL RESOURCES There are various methods of categorizing natural resources, these include source of origin and by their renewability. From a general stand-point, they can be placed into four categories. On the basis of origin, resources may be divided into: Biotic – 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 matter. Abiotic – Abiotic resources are those
Open Document