THE EXTRACTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES Lesson 3 Notes

LESSON OBJECTIVES By the end of this lesson you should be able to:  explain how the extraction of a resource from the environment has changed over the past century

EXTRACTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES  BC has always had an abundant supply of natural resources. The extraction and processing of these natural resources has fuelled our provincial economy for generations. Countless towns and cities across the province owe their existence and livelihood to BC’s natural resources.  The extraction of natural resources has led to several important primary industries in BC:  forestry, fishing, mining, and agriculture.

MINING  Mining has always been an integral part of BC’s economy. Minerals found in BC include both base metals, such as copper and aluminum, and precious metals, such as gold and silver. When deposits containing large concentrations of valuable metals are found, a mining operation may be opened.

MINING  Extracting mineral deposits is done in two ways: sub-surface mining or surface mining.  Sub-surface mining is the removal of minerals from underneath the ground by cutting into the Earth.

A shaft mine (when workers are transported underground with an elevator) and a slope mine (when workers are transported via conveyor belt) are two types of sub- surface mines.

MINING  Extracting mineral deposits is done in two ways: sub-surface mining or surface mining.  Surface mining is the removal of deposits from an open pit mine, or strip-mining (removing layers of the earth one at a time), or mountain top removal.

COMPARISON OF SUB-SURFACE & SURFACE MINING

MINING  Several metals may be found together, such as lead-zinc- silver deposits. In this case, the extracted ore is processed in a smelter or refinery to purify the desired metals and discard the tailings or waste products.  Structural materials, such as gravel or limestone are mined as well. Searching for fossil fuels, such as thermal coal or oil has also been profitable in BC.

MINING  BC’s First Nations were the first to mine for minerals. When they showed pieces of coal, copper, and gold to new European immigrants, the treasure hunt began! Mining developed the province more than any other industry.

FISHING  Before the arrival of the Europeans, fishing was one of the main industries in BC.  First Nations people who lived near fishing grounds relied on salmon and other fish for food and trade items.  The five important species of salmon were coho, pink, sockeye, chum, and spring. Pacific Salmon Species Chinook PinkCoho Chum Sockeye

FISHING  Most of the fish was dried and smoked for the winter.  Canning was found as a way to preserve fish, which made fish a major export.  The first canneries were built in 1870 and by the early 20th century, canneries along major salmon rivers employed thousands of people. Later, with the advent of freezing facilities aboard ships, canneries shut down and only a few major operations remained.

AGRICULTURE  Agriculture in British Columbia is diverse. Farming began with the arrival of Europeans in the early 1800s.  After permanent fur trading posts, such as Fort Victoria, were set up, nearby land was cleared for farms that were needed to supply food for the traders. As more settlers came, farms were established in the fertile Saanich Peninsula and in the Fraser Valley on the mainland.

AGRICULTURE  Other agricultural areas of the province included the fruit-growing region of the Okanagan, the Kootenay Valley, the Peace River valley, and the cattle-ranching area of the Cariboo.  A booming new agricultural venture in BC is the wine industry, with vineyards in the Okanagan and Vancouver Island.

AGRICULTURE  Only three percent of the province is considered to be arable land, or potentially arable, although up to thirty percent of the province has some agriculture potential.  Currently 5% of the province is protected ARL (Agricultural Reserve Lands) but Bill 24 proposes to change this protection…

FORESTRY  Forestry has traditionally been BC's most important primary industry. In the past 200 years, it has generated more wealth than any other industry. Over 45% of the province is covered in forests, but only 50% of that is commercial timber.

FORESTRY  It’s coniferous evergreen trees that provide softwood lumber for the industry. The gigantic trees of BC’s coastal old growth forests required large work forces and were more expensive to log, due to transportation challenges of hauling enormous logs and high labour costs. However, the quality and size of those trees made them very valuable.

FORESTRY  Forests in BC’s interior had more variety than coastal forests. Those trees were smaller, more widely distributed, and were located on flatter terrain. Fewer workers were required and it was much easier to transport those logs to sawmills. Forestry in BC’s interior has been hit hard by the mountain pine beetle which we will learn more about near the end of this unit.

FORESTRY  The forestry sector also includes the pulp and paper industry. BC is one of the world’s largest producers of pulp and paper. The first pulp mill in the province was located in the Alberni Valley way back in the 1860s.

TECHNOLOGY PROFILE: THE DOUBLE-CUT HEAD CHAIN SAW  By the early 1930s, the chain saw had become the preferred method for cutting down trees.  The first chain saws were basically mechanized versions of a crosscut saw. Crosscut technology is inefficient - the teeth quickly become dull, and the cut, or kerf, is wide. A lot of energy goes into chewing through the debris that the saw itself makes.

TECHNOLOGY PROFILE: THE DOUBLE-CUT HEAD CHAIN SAW  In 1935 a mechanic and logger named Joe Cox began to tinker with a better design. One day Joe was cutting wood when he noticed how timber beetles in the larval stage cut through wood. Instead of scratching or burrowing directly ahead, the beetles used cutters on their heads to make left-right cross-wise motions. They worked extremely quickly and left almost no debris.

TECHNOLOGY PROFILE: THE DOUBLE-CUT HEAD CHAIN SAW  Joe developed a working model of a chain saw chain that had two cutters on each head, just like the timber beetle. Joe patented his invention, but it didn’t enter the market until It was an immediate success. Most chain saws in use today are based on Joe’s design.