: Natural Resource Consumption - Essay Example

______________________________ Group Members: ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________LAB 2: Natural Resource ConsumptionObjectives: Increase awareness of material origination. Understand the effect of natural resource consumption on the environment. Explore actions that either sustain or arrest life in accordance with natural resource use.The Story of the Earth: See handout provided – How Do We Use Our Land?PART I. 1.

What does the word concentrate mean? Why is it important to have minerals concentrated in one place rather than scattered all around? What processes help in concentrating mineral resources?Concentrate is the earth’s natural process of making mineral resources into valuable resources for our use. It is the process where mineral resources are made available to us through several processes like the movement of water places sand and gravel along stream and river banks and ocean beaches; water erodes gold-bearing rock from upland mountains and deposits gold in gravels along some rivers and streams.

It includes accumulation of dead plants millions of years ago that through time, heat and pressure, the plant’s material has become today’s coal.2. Consider the elements present in computers (listed on page 46). Select four elements to determine where they come from and why they are important.Element #1: aluminumAluminum came from the natural reserves of Brazil, Jamaica and India. They are important because our transport system like cars and airplanes are heavy users of its end product.

Aluminum is also used in the construction of buildings.Element #2: ironThe major producers of iron include Australia, Brazil, China, and the former Soviet Union. Iron is important because our industry makes use of them. Our household appliances and the industrial plants that make them are heavy users of iron.Element #3: goldAbout half of the world’s gold deposit can be found in South Africa. Significant quantities of gold are also present in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, and the former Soviet Union.

While Gold is popularly used in jewelry making, it is also being used in dentistry, medicine and electronic instruments.Element #4: copperThe leading producer of copper is Chile, followed by the U.S., the former Soviet Union, and Canada. Copper is the main metallurgical component of electric cables and wires, switches, plumbing and heating. Electricity flows through this important element.2. Name at least 3 important natural resources that can be found in your state. Why are these important?

The state of Colorado has three important natural resources which are timber, oil and gas. Timbers are used for constructing edifices either for home or industrial use. It is also the raw material of making furniture. Oil fuels our economy as industry needs them to run; be in the industrial plants or our transport system. Gas warms our houses and cooks our food.3. Think about your lifestyle today compared with living more than 200 years ago. List things that are different. Think about how lifestyles will change in the future.

List things you think will be different.Our lifestyle today differs compared to the lifestyle 200 years ago in a manner that our way of living demands more natural resources to sustain. As an example, our entertainment gadgets, like the Ipod, flat T.V., video games etch demands so much of natural resources while 200 years ago, entertainment was simpler because people then are already contented reading books and telling stories. Books require little on our natural resources as it only uses a tree as a raw material and have a longer life span.

Technology based entertainment however demands a multitude of natural resources as raw material and have a very short life span.PART II. The Mystery of Easter Island: Consider the example of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) provided in the case study. 1. How do you think humans were able to survive on the limited resources of an isolated island for hundreds of years?The Polynesians had brought with them the food crops they were accustomed to planting, but they found that many did not grow well on the island.

So they raised and grow chickens and sweet potatoes that thrived on the island, and the settlers had some success growing taro and yams, so they were able to provide themselves with an adequate variety of foods to sustain them.2. What caused the island’s environment to lose its ability to sustain the first society on Rapa Nui? (Hint: consider the major relationships between the living and non-living components of the island.)The widespread use of the palm forests resulted in gradual deforestation of the island.

As the number of trees decreased, the newly exposed soil began to erode. Erosion reduced the soil’s fertility, making it less suitable for the growth of food crops as well as trees. The islander’s resources became increasingly scarce, and competition over them resulted in violence—including, according to some sources, cannibalism. In short, they overused their natural resources to support their way of life which led to their society’s destruction. 3. What steps could the islanders have taken to help sustain life of Rapa Nui?

They could have planned to have a sustainable development knowing that there are not enough resources in the island. In the case of trees, they should have the foresight to plant new tree siblings for every tree that they cut for future use.4. Could the island of Rapa Nui be seen as a model for Earth? Describe ways in which the island’s ancient society seems similar to or different from today’s society.The case of the island of Rapa Nui can be seen as a model for Earth for us to learn what is going to happen if we will follow their ways of over consuming their natural resources.

Because at the rate of what most of our lifestyle requires, it needs several earth to support that we seem to be treading the same path that Rapa Nui took – self-destruction.5. Describe any present or future actions people might take to help sustain life on Earth.Ideally, we should just consume natural resources at the same rate that our planet can reproduce them. For people to help to make life sustainable on earth, they should avoid waste and extravagant use of resources. Use only what is needed.

Have a house that only fits your need and have a car that does not use much fuel. 6. Describe any present or future human actions that could push Earth beyond its ability to sustain life.Our present acts are already pushing earth beyond its ability to sustain life. The manner we cut our trees far exceeds the way we grow them. Also, the rate of our Carbon emission in the atmosphere, be it from our industrial sites or transport system, far exceeds the rate that our trees can cleanse them through photosynthesis.

Climate change is the best evidence that we are already pushing earth beyond its capacity to sustain and renew itself.