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Use of Resources. Biology K. Beris. 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)
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Use of Resources Biology K. Beris
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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