Resource Distribution and use

Natural Resource Natural Resources are substances constructed by nature that help to support life on Earth Due to geologic process and Energy flow the resources are not distributed evenly

Natural Resources Most natural resources fall into a few main groups Metals Fossil Fuels Other Minerals Building Materials

Natural Resources Resource Where is it found Metals (gold, silver, iron, lead, zinc, etc) Occasionally in, more often near, volcanic intrusive rocks, faults, metamorphic rocks, and sometimes sedimentary rock Salt, calcite, gypsum Sedimentary minerals; left behind by water Uranium Concentrated in sedimentary rocks but also near volcanic or metamorphic rocks Fossil Fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, oil shale/sands) Form in sedimentary rocks; as plants, animals and sediment are buried, and metamorphized Precious gems All rock types however, most are found in igneous or metamorphic Building Materials (gravel, building stone, clay, sand, asphalt) Anywhere there is rock, most rocks can be useful in some way or another Water Groundwater aquifers: porous rock, fractured rock and spaces within soil

Natural Resources in Utah Lots of metals with volcanic rocks (copper), usually in the western half of the state Coal and Oil in the eastern half Salt Uranium, beryllium, magnesium, etc

Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources A renewable resource is one that is either without limit or that can be easily replenished Nonrenewable resources have a limited supply or cannot be readily replaced

Renewable or not… All are considered renewable but if we use them too quickly or wastefully we can run out either temporarily or permanently Water – renewed through the water cycle but only limited amounts are available at a time Plants & Animals – considered renewable resources but if used too quickly the populations can’t recover and can lead to either local extinction or total extinction Also some Plants or Animals are only useful at a mature age (like hardwood trees) which take a long time to recover

Per Capita Use Means the use per person of a resource As countries develop their per capita use of materials typically increases

Per Capita energy consumption

Per Capita daily dietary energy available (food)

United States Per Capita energy Use

World Per Capita Energy Consumption

Conserving Resources With so many Natural Resources that are being used and with more nations becoming developed and hoping to raise the quality of life for their people There needs to be a way to make the resources we have last and be enough

Conserving Resources protect (something, especially an environmentally or culturally important place or thing) from harm or destruction prevent the wasteful or harmful overuse of (a resource) maintain (a quantity such as energy or mass) at a constant overall total

Conserving Resources Ways that we protect resources Good logging practices rotation, planning out paths, marking trees, replanting Sustainable Fishing catch limits, Catch and Release, preventing invasive species, Fish hatcheries Water spreading use over time, maintaining water qualities (no pollutants, purification techniques) reservoirs Waste Management recycling, reuse, animal feeding, source reduction, composting, fermentation, incineration & other waste to energy methods

Conserving Resources Ways that we protect resources Electrical Energy alternative renewable sources, future research (fusion!), “smart” grids, non peak usage, more efficient energy production