1. Chapter 9: Earth’s Resources and Environmental Protection
Introduction to Geography
Chapter 9: Earth’s Resources and Environmental Protection

2. What Is a Natural Resource?
Something that is useful to people
Defined by
Cultural values
What is used and valued by people
Wood, mud or brick building
Swamps become wetlands, cultural shifts
Available technology
Potential resources
Ability to extract and use
Economics
Supply and demand
Externalities

3. Natural Resources Substitutability Nonrenewable resources
Stabilizes prices
Limits resource scarcity
Nonrenewable resources
Limited amounts
Gas, oil, coal, metals
Renewable resources
Replaced continually
Air, wind, water, solar
Some can be depleted

4. Solid Waste Landfills Incineration Sanitary landfills Reduces volume
Receive about 55% of solid waste
Reduce air & water pollution
Many becoming full & closing
Public objection to new landfills (“NIMBY”)
Incineration
Reduces volume
Provides energy

5. Recycling Reduces need for landfills and incinerators
Reuses natural resources
Barriers
Waste separation
Consumer resistance
Lack of market
Hidden costs
Indirect losses
New products & technologies
Shared costs with consumers

6. Energy Resources Renewable energy
Solar energy from the sun
Hydroelectric & wind power from movements of air & water
Geothermal from heat within Earth
Most energy from chemical energy stored in
Wood
Coal
Oil
Natural gas
Alcohol
Manure

7. Fossil Fuels Oil, natural gas, coal Nonrenewable
Created from plant & animal remains millions of years ago
Nonrenewable
Wood primary energy source until coal become dominant in 19th century
Oil is most important energy resource today
U.S. and Canadian industry
Natural gas, oil, coal
Distribution of fossil fuels
Uneven
Reserves

8. Renewable Energy Nuclear Fission vs. fusion Problems
Potential accidents
Radioactive waste
Public opposition
High cost

9. Renewable Energy Biomass Hydroelectric Solar
Burning wood, plant material & animal waste
Home heating & cooking in most of world
Hydroelectric
Flowing water
¼ of world’s electricity
Opposition to dams
Solar
Energy from sun
Thermal & photovoltaic
Wind generation
Transition to new energy sources

10. Air Pollution
Human concentration of trace substances at greater-than-natural levels
Predominately fossil fuels
Acid deposition
Acid rain - sulfur, nitrogen oxides
Concentrated in
Northeastern North America
Central Europe
Eastern China

11. Air Pollution Urban air pollution Components
Burning in power plants and vehicles
CO2
Incomplete burning
Photochemical smog
Particles (dust, soot)
Weather factors
Wind or calm
Air temperature inversions
Sunlight

12. Water Pollution 400 billion gallons per day pumped in U.S.
Pollution sources
Point
Non–point
Concentration & dilution
Oxygen in water
Oxygen levels indicate healthy water body
Biochemical oxygen demand of decomposing waste
Wastewater & disease
Chemical & toxic pollutants

13. Controlling Pollution
Common strategy
Removal before entering environment
Sewage treatment
Catalytic converters
Smoke stack scrubbers

14. Preventing Pollution Paradigm shift in the 1990’s Incentives
Stop producing pollution
Use of non-toxic substances
Recycling potential pollutants
Incentives
Remaining pollution even with control measures
Legal liability
Cheaper
Public relations value
Preventing Pollution

15. Forests Cover 1/3 of Earth’s surface Uses Ecosystem
Renewable natural resource
Timber, paper, wood products
Recreational
Ecosystem
Habitat
Carbon storage
Biodiversity

16. End of Chapter 9