Download The Earth`s Life Support Systems

Resource Use
Resource Use
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PA Standards
• 4.6.12.A: Ecosystems and
their Interactions
• 3.3.12.B: Biological Sciences
• 3.4.12.B: Physical Science,
Chemistry, and Physics
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“The first law of ecology is that
everything is related to
everything else.”
-
Barry Commoner, The Closing Circle:
Nature, Man and Technology, 1971
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Analyze the
relationships among
biotic and abiotic
components of an
ecosystem.
Analyze the chemical
basis of living
organisms.
Apply and analyze
energy sources and
conversions.
Key Questions
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What are renewable and
nonrenewable resources and where
are they found?
How do we extract mineral resources
from the earth’s crust?
Will there be enough nonrenewable
resources for future generations?
What are renewable and
nonrenewable resources and
where are they found?
Natural Resources
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Renewable
• Resources that can be replenished
rapidly through natural processes as
long as it is not used up faster than it is
replaced.
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Ex. Forests, wild animals, water
• Maximum sustained yield that can be
harvested without depleting the
productive capacity.
Natural Resources
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Nonrenewable
• Resource that exist in a fixed amount
(stock) in the earth’s crust and has the
potential for renewal by geological,
physical, and chemical processes taking
place over hundreds of millions to
billions of years.
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Ex. Fossil fuels, aluminum, copper
• Can be recyclable or nonrecyclable.
• Optimal extraction rates over time.
Class Activity
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Resource Use – Raw Materials
• Identify a Product.
• On your own, list all of the raw
materials necessary for you to buy the
product from a store.
• With a partner, expand your list from
the previous step.
• As a class, make a comprehensive list of
all of the raw materials necessary for
you to buy this product from a store.
Mineral Resources
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The earth’s crust consists of solid
inorganic elements and compounds
called minerals that can sometimes
be used as resources.
• Mineral resource: is a concentration
of naturally occurring material in or on
the earth’s crust that can be extracted
and processed into useful materials at
an affordable cost.
Classification of Nonrenewable
Mineral Resources
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The U.S. Geological Survey classifies mineral
resources into four major categories:
• Identified: known location, quantity, and
quality or existence known based on direct
evidence and measurements.
• Undiscovered: potential supplies that are
assumed to exist.
• Reserves: identified resources that can be
extracted profitably.
• Other: undiscovered or identified resources
not classified as reserves
General Classification of
Nonrenewable Mineral Resources
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Examples are
fossil fuels
(coal, oil),
metallic
minerals
(copper, iron),
and nonmetallic
minerals (sand,
gravel).
How do we extract mineral
resources from the earth’s
crust?
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF
USING MINERAL RESOURCES
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The extraction, processing, and use of
mineral resources has a large
environmental impact.
Natural Capital Degradation
Extracting, Processing, and Using Nonrenewable Mineral and Energy Resources
Steps
Mining
Exploration,
extraction
Processing
Environmental Effects
Disturbed land; mining
accidents; health hazards,
mine waste dumping, oil
spills and blowouts; noise;
ugliness; heat
Use
Solid wastes; radioactive
material; air, water, and
soil pollution; noise;
safety and health
hazards; ugliness; heat
Transportation or
transmission to
individual user,
eventual use, and
discarding
Noise; ugliness; thermal
water pollution; pollution
of air, water, and soil;
solid and radioactive
wastes; safety and health
hazards; heat
Transportation,
purification,
manufacturing
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF
USING MINERAL RESOURCES
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Minerals are removed through a variety
of methods that vary widely in their
costs, safety factors, and levels of
environmental harm.
A variety of methods are used based on
mineral depth.
• Surface mining: shallow deposits are
removed.
• Subsurface mining: deep deposits are
removed.
Open-Pit Mining
Mountaintop Removal
Area Strip Mining
Contour Strip Mining
Mining Impacts
Will there be enough
nonrenewable resources for
future generations?
Activity
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Economic Goods
• Science and technology have lead to
developments that have made our lives easier,
but does that make them necessary?
• Make a list of all of the economic goods that
you use on a daily basis.
• Record an example of each of the following
technology categories: Necessary, Useful, and
Luxury.
• For each example, name three benefits of the
technology and three ways your life would be
different without the technology.
SUPPLIES OF MINERAL
RESOURCES
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The future supply of a resource
depends on its affordable supply and
how rapidly that supply is used.
A rising price for a scarce mineral
resource can increase supplies and
encourage more efficient use.
Natural Resources Economics
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Price of a natural resource reflects its
scarcity or availability of substitutes.
• Increased scarcity means increased
price.
• Increased use of substitutes in
production.
SUPPLIES OF MINERAL
RESOURCES
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Depletion curves
for a renewable
resource using
three sets of
assumptions.
• Dashed vertical
lines represent
times when
80% depletion
occurs.
Thought Problems
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If it meant having a resource supply for a longer
period of time, would you be willing to pay higher
prices to help develop better mining technology?
Why or why not?
Should hardrock mining companies have to pay
an 8-12% royalty on the wholesale value of
minerals they remove from public lands in the
United States and take full responsibility for any
environ mental damage caused by their
activities?
• (U.S. General Mining Law of 1872 – modified in 1992)
Review Key Questions
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What are renewable and
nonrenewable resources and where
are they found?
How do we extract mineral resources
from the earth’s crust?
Will there be enough nonrenewable
mineral resources for future
generations?
Project
Buying a Car: Product Development Project
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“Everything is connected to everything else” is the first law of ecology. This is an
important concept when making decisions about ourselves, our future, and the
resources we depend on. This research will analyze the many cause-and-effect
relationships that can be drawn between science, technology, and society.
At some point in the future you will have to make a decision on what type of car to
buy. Beyond considering the brand, price and model, you may also consider the
“green” factor in the next car that you buy. Would it be better for you to buy a
regular gas car over an electric or hybrid car? Maybe bio-diesel or flex fuel is a better
option for you, or maybe even a PZEV. But you may not want to buy new and instead
consider a used car to be a better option.
In this project, you will research vehicles and determine how they are connected with
science, technology and society. You will explain the connections by considering
impacts on the human population, resources and the environment.
Explain this connection by considering impacts on:
•
•
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The human population
Raw materials/resources
The environment
Project
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Criteria in your research should include:
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Raw Materials/Resources
• Identify raw materials and identify each as renewable or nonrenewable.
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Production
• Identify where any factories/production plants are located.
• Describe the impact that the factory has on the local
community.
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Transportation
• Describe how raw materials are transported to the factory.
• Describe how the product is distributed.
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Environmental Impact
• Describe how the company is impacting the environment.
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Positive Impacts
Negative Impacts
• Propose ways that the company can improve its impact on the
environment.