PTNR - Natural Resources (Lesson)
Natural Resources
Please watch the following:
Lego Planet Earth: Natural Resources Links to an external site.
Renewable Resources
Renewable resources can be renewed as they are used. An example is timber, which comes from trees. New trees can be planted to replace those that are cut down. Sunlight is a renewable resource. It seems we will never run out of that! What are some other renewable resources?
Just because a resource is renewable, it doesn't mean we should use it carelessly. If we aren't careful, we can pollute resources. Then they may no longer be fit for use. Water is one example. If we pollute a water source it may not be usable for drinking, bathing, or any other type of use. We can also overuse resources that should be renewable. In this case, the resources may not be able to recover. For example, fish are renewable resources. That's because they can reproduce and make more fish. But water pollution and overfishing can cause them to die out if their population becomes too low.
Nonrenewable Resources
Some resources can't be renewed. At least, they can't be renewed fast enough to keep up with use. Fossil fuels are examples. It takes millions of years for them to form. We are using them up much more quickly. Elements that are used to produce nuclear power are other examples. For example, uranium is fairly rare on land, so sooner or later it will run out.
Supplies of nonrenewable resources are shrinking. This makes them harder to get. Oil is a good example. Oil reserves beneath land are running out. So oil companies have started to drill for oil far out in the ocean. This costs more money. It's also more dangerous.
Test your knowledge of renewable and nonrenewable resources with the activity below.
Tragedy of the Commons
Tragedy of the Commons refers to the depletion of a shared resource by individuals who act independently and rationally according to their own self-interest. They deplete the resource despite the knowledge that the depletion is contrary to the group's best long-term interest. This phrase was first coined by ecologist Garrett Hardin in 1968 in a paper titled "The Tragedy of the Commons" published in the journal Science.
An example Hardin referred to in his paper involved a group of cattle herders sharing grazing rights on a common parcel of land. It was in each herder's self-interest to put all of his cows on the common land even though the quality of the land was depleted for all of the farmers through overgrazing. The farmer got an individual benefit while the burden of the consequences was shared by the group. If each farmer makes this same choice, the common land will be depleted or destroyed to the detriment of all. A more modern example of this problem is overfishing in the world's oceans.
Fortunately, there are strategies that can be used to ensure the long-term survival of a resource in spite of the natural tendency toward exploitation. These are incentives, privatization, communication, and education. With these solutions in hand, strategies can be devised to help protect common resources in the environment and work toward sustainable resource use.
RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.