1. Chapter 14: Resource Issues
The Cultural Landscape:
An Introduction to Human Geography

2. Introduction
Resource: substances in environment substances that are useful to humans
Limited
2 resource misuses:
Deplete scarce resources for energy
Destroy resources by pollution

3. Why Are Resources Being Depleted?
Energy resources
Animate versus inanimate power
Energy supply & demand
5/6 of world energy comes from coal, natural gas, &oil
Figure 14-2

4. Per Capita Energy Consumption
Figure 14-1

5. Why Are Resources Being Depleted?
Energy resources
Finiteness of natural resources
Renewable versus nonrenewable resources
Proven reserves
Total supply known
Potential reserves
Undiscovered fields
Enhanced recovery from known fields
Unconventional sources
Figure 14-3

6. Coal Production
Figure 14-4

7. Proven Reserves of Fossil Fuels
Figure 14-5

8. Why Are Resources Being Depleted?
Energy resources
Uneven distribution of fossil fuels
Location of reserves
Consumption of fossil fuels

9. Why Are Resources Being Depleted?
Energy resources
Control of world petroleum
Sharp conflicts
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
Changing supply & demand

10. Why Are Resources Being Depleted?
Mineral resources
Metallic or nonmetallic
Nonmetallic = 90 % of extraction is for building stone

11. Why Are Resources Being Depleted?
Mineral resources
Metallic or nonmetallic
Ferrous metallic minerals = iron ore, chromium, manganese
Nonferrous metallic minerals = aluminum, copper, zinc
Precious metals = gold, silver, platinum

12. Why Are Resources Being Polluted?
Air pollution
Global scale
Global warming
Greenhouse effect
Ozone layer & CFCs
Figure 14-15

13. Why Are Resources Being Polluted?
Air pollution
Regional scale
Acid precipitation & acid deposition
Figure 14-18

14. Why Are Resources Being Polluted?
Air pollution
Local scale
Carbon monoxide
Hydrocarbons & photochemical smog
Particulates
Figure 14-19

15. Why Are Resources Being Polluted?
Water pollution
Nonpoint-source vs. point-source pollution
Sources
Agriculture
Water-using industries
Municipal uses

16. Why Are Resources Being Polluted?
Water pollution
Impact on aquatic life
Biochemical oxygen demand
Dead zone
Thermal pollution
Wastewater & disease
U.S. Clean Water Act

17. Why Are Resources Being Polluted?
Land pollution
Solid-waste disposal
Sanitary landfills
Expanded landfill capacities
2 alternatives to landfills: incineration & recycling

18. Why Are Resources Being Polluted?
Land pollution
Hazardous waste disposal
2007: about 47 million tons disposed of in U.S.
Heavy metals
Pollution, cancer, death, etc.

19. Why Are Resources Being Polluted?
Renewing resources
Nuclear energy
Potential accidents
Radioactive wastes
Bomb material
Limited uranium reserves
High cost
Nuclear fusion

20. Percentage of Electricity Generated from Nuclear Power
Figure 14-23

21. Why Are Resources Being Reused?
Renewing resources
Leading renewable energy resources
Biomass
Hydroelectric power
Wind power
Geothermal energy

22. Electricity From Hydroelectric Power
Figure 14-26

23. Why Are Resources Being Reused?
Renewing resources
Leading renewable energy resources
Solar energy
1% of U.S. energy
Active
Special devices collect solar energy & convert to power
Passive
No special devices to collect solar energy

24. Why Are Resources Being Reused?
Renewing resources
Leading renewable energy resources
Renewable energy in motor vehicles

25. Why Are Resources Being Reused?
Recycling resources
Recycling collection
Pick-up & processing programs
Curbside
Drop-off
Buy-back
Deposit
Manufacturing of recycled products
Paper
Plastic
Glass
Aluminum
Figure 14-30

26. Why Are Resources Being Reused?
Recycling resources
Other pollution reduction strategies
Reduce discharges
Increase environmental capacities
Comparing pollution reduction strategies
Consumers use/waste less for safer, cleaner environment

27. Why Should Resources Be Conserved?
Figure 14-33
Why Should Resources Be Conserved?
Sustainable development
Improve quality of life while preserving resources for future generations
Conservation
Sustainable use & management of resources
Preservation
Maintenance of resources in their present condition
Impact on economic growth
Sustainability’s critics
Figure 14-34

28. Why Should Resources be Conserved?
Biodiversity
Geographic vs. biological biodiversity
Biologists: concerned with genetic diversity
Geographers: concerned with biogeographic diversity
Biodiversity in the tropics
Occupy 6% of Earth’s land area but contain over 50% of all species

29. The End.
Thank you for taking Intro to Human Geography with me. I hope you enjoyed the class. Regardless of the specifics you take away from this class, remember geography & culture are all around you.