Obtaining Resources from our Planet

Obtaining Resources from our Planet

Introduction to Resources Obtaining

  • Resources refer to materials, energy sources, or other commodities that can be utilised by people to function and perform various tasks.

  • Resources can either be renewable, those that can be replenished naturally over a short timescale like sun, wind, water, or non-renewable, those that cannot easily replenish on a human timescale, like coal, oil, natural gas or metals.

Mining and Drilling

  • Extracting solid resources from the Earth’s crust is known as mining, which includes minerals such as coal, iron, copper, gold, and diamonds.

  • Certain techniques are used for mining, including open pit, underground, placer and mountaintop removal mining.

  • Drilling, on the other hand, is used mainly for the extraction of oil and gas from beneath the Earth’s surface.

  • Both mining and drilling can cause environmental harm via habitat destruction, air and water pollution, soil degradation and in some cases, can result in human health risks.

Deforestation

  • Deforestation is the practice of clearing large areas of forests for non-forest uses such as agriculture, logging or urban development.

  • While providing significant financial benefits from the sale of timber and creation of land for agriculture or development, it leads to loss of biodiversity, contributes to climate change and disrupts water cycles.

Fishing and Aquaculture

  • Fishing and aquaculture are practices used to extract resources from the water bodies.

  • Overfishing can lead to depletion of fish stocks while aquaculture can cause water pollution and loss of habitats.

Agriculture and Animal Husbandry

  • Agriculture and animal husbandry are ways humans extract food resources from the Earth. They involve cultivation of crops and rearing of animals respectively.

  • These practices have significantly altered landscapes, caused loss of natural habitats and led to pollution due to use of pesticides and fertilisers.

Sustainable Resource Management

  • Sustainable resource management aims to meet current human needs while ensuring the sustainability of natural resources for future generations.

  • This includes practices such as reforestation, organic farming, responsible mining, use of renewable energy, waste management and water conservation.

  • Scientists, environmentalists, policy makers and the public have key roles to play in promoting sustainable resource management to safeguard the planet.