Resources indicator: 8.4
What are resources Physical material that is part of the Earth Basic resources: land, water, air Any natural resource becomes valuable when humans value it Is a cultural concept that changes at any given time or location
renewable Natural resources such as trees, water, sun and wind that can be replenished at about the same rate at which they are used.
nonrenewable Non renewable resources can be extracted and only used once
flow Flow resources must be used when and where they occur and are neither renewable or nonrenewable
Distribution of resources The natural distribution of resources influences how countries relate to one another. Resources are not distributed evenly and scarcity has led to trade. Trade makes countries interdependent on one another.
Settlement around resources Increased settlement Organization of farming activities around settlements in Southeast Asia Spatial arrangement of villages, town and cities in the North American corn belt
Cultural use of resources Salt and spices for food preservation Salting or curing draws moisture from the meat Sugar is used to preserve fruits Lye makes food too alkaline for bacterial growth Read A Bloody History in SCOPE (Sept 2013)
Cultural use of resources We have taken food preservation even further by adding preservatives, artificial flavors, and by-product.
Cultural use of resources Petroleum was a nuisance (it just sat on top of the ground) before invention of the internal combustion engine and for many years was considered a useless byproduct of the refining of crude oil to make kerosene.
Technology changes use of resources Changing technology has led to globalization that had seen China become the largest consumer of coal and cars Economic growth creates more wealth, more people want cars, more fuel is needed.
Technology changes use of resources India’s growing car culture due to economic growth Brazil’s growing consumer culture pg. 4 of the Upfront (Oct. 28, 2013) Industrialization changes demand for resources How will genetically engineered crops affect resources?
location of resources - OIL
location of resources - timber
location of resources - rubber
location of resources - wheat
North American corn belt How are towns arranged in this area of the U.S.?
Settlement around resources Decreased settlement as resources are depleted Shrinking of the Aral Sea Expanding of the Sahel Desert Oil boomtowns in Russia or Alaska
Conserving resources Reduce, reuse, recycle Food distribution centers Collection centers Computers & laptops Cell phones