Resource Use

1. Resource Use

2. PA Standards 4.6.12.A: Ecosystems and their Interactions 3.3.12.B: Biological Sciences 3.4.12.B: Physical Science, Chemistry, and Physics “The first law of ecology is that everything is related to everything else.” - Barry Commoner, The Closing Circle: Nature, Man and Technology, 1971 Analyze the relationships among biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem. Analyze the chemical basis of living organisms. Apply and analyze energy sources and conversions. Resource Use

3. Key Questions • What are renewable and nonrenewable resources and where are they found? • How do we extract mineral resources from the earth’s crust? • Will there be enough nonrenewable resources for future generations?

4. What are renewable and nonrenewable resources and where are they found?

5. Natural Resources • Renewable • Resources that can be replenished rapidly through natural processes as long as it is not used up faster than it is replaced. • Ex. Forests, wild animals, water • Maximum sustained yield that can be harvested without depleting the productive capacity.

6. Natural Resources • Nonrenewable • Resource that exist in a fixed amount (stock) in the earth’s crust and has the potential for renewal by geological, physical, and chemical processes taking place over hundreds of millions to billions of years. • Ex. Fossil fuels, aluminum, copper • Can be recyclable or nonrecyclable. • Optimal extraction rates over time.

7. Class Activity • Resource Use – Raw Materials • Identify a Product. • On your own, list all of the raw materials necessary for you to buy the product from a store. • With a partner, expand your list from the previous step. • As a class, make a comprehensive list of all of the raw materials necessary for you to buy this product from a store.

8. Mineral Resources • The earth’s crust consists of solid inorganic elements and compounds called minerals that can sometimes be used as resources. • Mineral resource: is a concentration of naturally occurring material in or on the earth’s crust that can be extracted and processed into useful materials at an affordable cost.

9. Classification of Nonrenewable Mineral Resources • The U.S. Geological Survey classifies mineral resources into four major categories: • Identified: known location, quantity, and quality or existence known based on direct evidence and measurements. • Undiscovered: potential supplies that are assumed to exist. • Reserves: identified resources that can be extracted profitably. • Other: undiscovered or identified resources not classified as reserves

10. General Classification of Nonrenewable Mineral Resources • Examples are fossil fuels (coal, oil), metallic minerals (copper, iron), and nonmetallic minerals (sand, gravel).

11. How do we extract mineral resources from the earth’s crust?

12. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF USING MINERAL RESOURCES • The extraction, processing, and use of mineral resources has a large environmental impact.

13. Natural Capital Degradation Extracting, Processing, and Using Nonrenewable Mineral and Energy Resources Steps Environmental Effects Mining Disturbed land; mining accidents; health hazards, mine waste dumping, oil spills and blowouts; noise; ugliness; heat Exploration, extraction Processing Solid wastes; radioactive material; air, water, and soil pollution; noise; safety and health hazards; ugliness; heat Transportation, purification, manufacturing Use Noise; ugliness; thermal water pollution; pollution of air, water, and soil; solid and radioactive wastes; safety and health hazards; heat Transportation or transmission to individual user, eventual use, and discarding

14. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF USING MINERAL RESOURCES • Minerals are removed through a variety of methods that vary widely in their costs, safety factors, and levels of environmental harm. • A variety of methods are used based on mineral depth. • Surface mining: shallow deposits are removed. • Subsurface mining: deep deposits are removed.

15. Open-Pit Mining Area Strip Mining Contour Strip Mining Mountaintop Removal Mining Impacts

16. Will there be enough nonrenewable resources for future generations?

17. Activity • Economic Goods • Science and technology have lead to developments that have made our lives easier, but does that make them necessary? • Make a list of all of the economic goods that you use on a daily basis. • Record an example of each of the following technology categories: Necessary, Useful, and Luxury. • For each example, name three benefits of the technology and three ways your life would be different without the technology.

18. SUPPLIES OF MINERAL RESOURCES • The future supply of a resource depends on its affordable supply and how rapidly that supply is used. • A rising price for a scarce mineral resource can increase supplies and encourage more efficient use.

19. Natural Resources Economics • Price of a natural resource reflects its scarcity or availability of substitutes. • Increased scarcity means increased price. • Increased use of substitutes in production.

20. SUPPLIES OF MINERAL RESOURCES • Depletion curves for a renewable resource using three sets of assumptions. • Dashed vertical lines represent times when 80% depletion occurs.

21. Thought Problems • If it meant having a resource supply for a longer period of time, would you be willing to pay higher prices to help develop better mining technology? Why or why not? • Should hardrock mining companies have to pay an 8-12% royalty on the wholesale value of minerals they remove from public lands in the United States and take full responsibility for any environ mental damage caused by their activities? • (U.S. General Mining Law of 1872 – modified in 1992)

22. Review Key Questions • What are renewable and nonrenewable resources and where are they found? • How do we extract mineral resources from the earth’s crust? • Will there be enough nonrenewable mineral resources for future generations?

23. Project Buying a Car: Product Development Project • “Everything is connected to everything else” is the first law of ecology. This is an important concept when making decisions about ourselves, our future, and the resources we depend on. This research will analyze the many cause-and-effect relationships that can be drawn between science, technology, and society. • At some point in the future you will have to make a decision on what type of car to buy. Beyond considering the brand, price and model, you may also consider the “green” factor in the next car that you buy. Would it be better for you to buy a regular gas car over an electric or hybrid car? Maybe bio-diesel or flex fuel is a better option for you, or maybe even a PZEV. But you may not want to buy new and instead consider a used car to be a better option. • In this project, you will research vehicles and determine how they are connected with science, technology and society. You will explain the connections by considering impacts on the human population, resources and the environment. • Explain this connection by considering impacts on: • The human population • Raw materials/resources • The environment

24. Project • Criteria in your research should include: • Raw Materials/Resources • Identify raw materials and identify each as renewable or non-renewable. • Production • Identify where any factories/production plants are located. • Describe the impact that the factory has on the local community. • Transportation • Describe how raw materials are transported to the factory. • Describe how the product is distributed. • Environmental Impact • Describe how the company is impacting the environment. • Positive Impacts • Negative Impacts • Propose ways that the company can improve its impact on the environment.