Use of Resources

1. Use of Resources Biology K. Beris

2. Natural Resources • Resources that can be renewable or nonrenewable • Renewable resources—resources that can regenerate and therefore, are replaceable • Example—water (but can easily become limited by drought or overuse) • Nonrenewable resources—one that can not be replenished by natural processes • Examples—fossil fuels, coal, oil, and natural gas • Fossil fuels are formed over a long period of time…deeply buried as organic materials • When these fuels are depleted, they are gone forever

3. Major Sources of Air, Water, and Land Pollution • Pollution—causing harm to an area of the natural environment by introducing damaging substances such as chemicals or waste products. • Examples—contamination of the air, soil, or water • Much pollution is related to industrialization

4. Pollution, cont. • Acid rain—rain mixed with nitric acid and sulfuric acid • Caused by the burning of fossil fuels, release of acidic gases containing nitrogen and sulfur compounds into the atmosphere. • Effects: can kill plants by damaging their leaves, changing the chemistry of the soil and standing water ecosystems

5. Pollution, cont. • Water pollution—threatens water supplies and contaminates groundwater • Examples—oil spills, improperly discarded chemicals and wastes, domestic sewage containing nitrogen and phosphorus compounds

6. Pollution, cont. • Ozone depletion—ozone, O3, is a naturally occurring gas that is vital to life on Earth • Located in the upper atmosphere that screens out most UV rays that cause mutations • Increased UV increases rates of skin cancer and cataracts; causes harm to plants and photosynthetic algae; depletion of ozone could modify the entire ecosystem over time. • Chlorofluorocarbons are ozone-destroying chemicals (human-made chemicals) that destroy the ozone layer causing more UV radiation to reach the Earth’s surface • Examples of CFCs—coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners, propellants in aerosol spray cans

7. Pollution, cont. • Land pollution—land is a resource that provides space for cities and suburbs and raw materials for industry • Important for crops • Soil is a renewable resource but can be permanently damaged if mismanaged

8. Pollution, cont. • Greenhouse effect—pertains to the atmosphere’s ability to retain heat • The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere influences how much heat from the sun is trapped by the atmosphere • Produces a cause and effect relationship between the increased earth’s temperature and increased CO2 levels • Causes a problem because there is not enough trees to consume amount of CO2 wastes in the atmosphere

9. Pollution, cont. • Global warming—as an effect of global warming, storms may become more severe and more frequent • High number of disasterous floods, hurricanes, tornados, etc. may occur