Geography

Earth’s Resources

The current ecological problems that are facing us and the world in its entirety have been brought forth by the illogical utilization of the earth, together with its ecosystems as well as its resources. Although many would like to view this situation in a different light, it is time that we accepted responsibility for our actions. We are the cause of the current economic crisis that our world is facing. When we see ourselves as being independent with nature, nature then merely become our resource source, which we can tap into, so that we can benefit from it. These resources come from the ground, air, water as well as the organisms within the biosphere. This paper is for the argument that the irresponsible exploitation of the earth’s resources is responsible to the environmental crisis that is facing us today and it will give arguments to support the same.

The resources that we have can be categorized into two that is the renewable resources and non-renewable resources. Many of the non-renewable resources such as minerals and petroleum are usually obtained from below the crust of the earth. This has lead to the ecosystem of the earth, being evolved and having very limited exposure to such resources. In turn, the non-renewable resources have been found to be foreign within the biosphere and can therefore be very harmful to other organisms and cause disruptions within the ecosystems. A majority of the environmental issues stem from the retrieval of the product, its processing, transportation as well as its use and its disposal. An example can be given of land used for mining. This is disruptive in that more often than not, it leads to the displacement of human communities within the areas as well as many wildlife species. Metal smelting as well as fuel refining also causes pollutants to be released into the atmosphere, therefore polluting water, air as well as the soil.

These kinds of activities usually result in the degrading the environment and habitats and can also cause serious risks to both wildlife and humans. Other impacts that could have a negative consequence of the environment include fuel spill or leaks. Fossils fuels, which are also a non-renewable resource, also have several negative impacts on the environment. This is because it contributes to acid rain, smog as well as global warming. It is also important to note that non-renewable resources have to be recycled or re-used. Ignorance to this within our industrial communities is what has in turn led to insurgence of landfills and accumulation of solid waste in the ecosystem.

What many industrialists do not understand is that the non-renewable resources are finite. This means that they do not increase and can therefore be depleted entirely if not well utilized. The depleting of the earth’s resources is very harmful to the ecosystem. Take for example a forest. It is said that a forest can only expand at the rate of five percent per annum. This means that if the industrial communities use this five percent of trees every year, then they will be able to sustain the timber industry. However, if they exceed the five percent, then it is like using the capital that one has invested in a business venture. In the end, the forests will be depleted completely.

Renewable sources of energy such as wind, solar and geothermal power are considered more effective as well as efficient. This is because they are infinite and can never be depleted. Although it is hard for the industrial communities to make a change from the non-renewable resources to renewable sources, the other alternative would be to combine the two and adapt it according to the industrial communities’ situation. It is however important that the resources are used wisely, with care and caution.