Transcript Earth's Natural Resources

Earth's Natural
Resources
Unit 4
World Geography
What Are Natural Resources?
 natural resource- any useful material found in the
environment
 raw material- a resource or material that is still in its
natural state, before being processed or manufactured
into a useful product
 recyclable resource- a resource that cycles through
natural processes in the environment (water, nitrogen,
carbon)
 renewable resource- a natural resource that the
environment continues to supply or replace as it is used
(trees, water)
 nonrenewable resource- a resource that cannot be
replaced once it is used; they include fossil fuels such as
coal and oil, and minerals such as iron, copper, and gold
 fossil fuel- any one of several nonrenewable resources
created from the remains of plants and animals
__________________________________
__________________________________
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Example: Trees are the raw materials for
paper and wood.
A natural resource is anything from the
Earth that helps meet people’s needs
for food, clothing, and shelter.
Examples: ____________________________
Three Kinds of Resources
Recyclable
Renewable
Nonrenewable
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Examples: water,
nitrogen, carbon
Includes trees and
other living things:
They can be
destroyed or wiped
out.
However, these
resources can be
replaced, if careful,
to maintain a steady
supply.
__________________
__________________
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Most nonliving
things are
nonrenewable.
Examples: minerals,
coal, natural gas,
petroleum (oil),
metals
Examples: trees,
chickens, corn
Ancient Energy: Fossil Fuel
 ______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________.
 Fossil fuels include coal, natural gas, and
petroleum.
 Fossil fuels were created over millions of years
from the remains of prehistoric plants and
animals.
 Fossil fuels are no longer being created. As a
result, they are nonrenewable resources.
 ______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________.
A Special Resource: Energy
Everyone in the world needs energy, but
energy resources are not evenly spread
around the world.
If a country does not have enough energy
resources of its own, it must buy them
from other countries.
__________________________________
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__________________________________
_________________________________.
 In the 1970s, the United States used so much
energy that it had to begin buying oil from OPEC
(the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries).
 ______________________________________
______________________________________.
 When OPEC limited supplies and raised prices,
the United States experienced oil shortages.
 ______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________.
Top Petroleum Consumers and
Producers
Producers
United States
12.1%
11.5%
Saudi Arabia
Russia
8.5%
Iran
4.9%
Mexico
4.5%
China
4.3%
Norway
Venezuela
United Kingdom
Canada
4.2%
4.1%
4.0%
3.5%
Stages of Resource Development
First Level
Second Level
Third Level
People use land
and resources
directly to make
products.
__________________
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Examples: hunting,
fishing, mining,
herding, farming
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Example: A farmer
takes his corn to a
mill. The miller
grinds corn into corn
meal, and the miller
sells the corn meal
for more processing.
Products are
distributed to people
who want them.
People are
producing a service.
Examples: ________
__________________
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Economic Patterns: Developed and
Developing Countries
 ______________________________________
______________________________________
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 This change in the way people made goods was
called the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial
Revolution created a new pattern of economic
activity. It separated countries into two groups
 Developed Nations are those countries that
have many industries
 Developing Nations are those countries that
have few industries.
Industrial Societies
Developed Nations: A Fact Sheet
 About one quarter of the world’s population lives in
developed nations.
 They use goods made in factories.
 Their industries consume a lot of raw materials and
use power-driven machinery.
 ___________________________________________
___________________________________________.
 Most people live in towns and cities and work in
business and industry.
Industrial Societies
Developed Nations: A Fact Sheet
 ___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________.
 They rely on commercial farming, which raises
tremendous amounts of food.
 ___________________________________________
___________________________________________.
 Each part of the economy relies on the other.
 Problems: unemployment, pollution, shortages of
natural resources
Developing Nations
 Every culture is not like the United States. Most of the
people of the world (about 75%) live in developing
countries.
 They do not have great wealth.
 Many work at subsistence farming—raising just enough
food for their families or communities, not for profit.
 These farms require a lot of labor and do not yield a lot
of crops.
 The only commercial farms are plantations, which
produce a single crop for export.
 They are usually owned by only a few people.
 Certain groups herd animals.
 _____________________________________________
____________________________________________.
 In some developing nations, people live as huntergatherers.
Challenges in Developing Nations
What challenges do they face?
______________________________
food shortages
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______________________________
poor health services
______________________________
and frequently changing governments
are just a few of the challenges
developing nations face.
Why do they face so many
challenges?
______________________________
_____________________________.
In the late 1990s, for example, the
supply of fresh water became a
problem.
There are many other reasons as
well.
Is anything being done to improve
conditions?
 Yes. Some developing nations are beginning to
use their natural resources, or sell them to other
countries.
 ______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________.
 Businesses in developed countries may also
help by building factories in developing nations.
 These factories provide ___________________.
The World: Economic Activity
Danger to Land, Water, and Air
 An ecosystem is a place where living elements
depend on one another—and on nonliving
elements—for their survival.
Examples of ecosystems: the Sahara Desert, the
Amazon River valley, the Great Plains
 ______________________________________
______________________________________.
Example: Deforestation in South America is an
example. Many rain forests are being destroyed. As
a result, many plant and animal species will
become extinct.
Protecting Endangered Species
Usually, more than one thing threatens a
species.
Causes of Extinction:
__________________________________
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The air, soil, or water may become too
polluted.
__________________________________
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Protecting Endangered Species
Methods of Prevention:
Laws, such as the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 gave the government power
to protect species that might become
extinct.
Some people disagree with such laws.
__________________________________
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Other Forms of Damage
Acid Rain
__________________________________
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What is being done? Canada and the United
States have laws to reduce acid rain.
Factories and cars are installing devices to
clean up the fumes they release.
Pollution
__________________________________
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The Ozone Layer
The ozone layer, a layer of gas in the
upper part of our atmosphere, blocks
most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet
rays. Chemicals such as
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) destroy
the ozone layer.
What is being done? The Montreal Protocol
of 1987 led nations to limit their use of
ozone-destroying chemicals, including
CFCs.
Global Warming
What is global warming?
__________________________________
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What causes it?
It may be caused by gases like carbon
dioxide that are released into the air.
They are called ____________________.
Where do these gases come from?
Industrial countries produce 75 percent of
these gases.
They are released when fossil fuels (which
produce most of the world’s electricity)
burn.
__________________________________
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How does global warming take place?
Normally, heat on Earth escapes back into
space.
__________________________________
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This is called the greenhouse effect.
The Challenge of Energy
__________________________________
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Their research concentrates on nuclear
power, water, wind, and the sun.
The Challenge of Energy
__________________________________
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For example: The United States produces
more waste than any other nation in the
world.
__________________________________
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Today, most American cities have
recycling programs.