What are Natural Resources?
Natural resources are the boon of nature to mankind. We find vivid diversified natural resources in the universe. Resources like wood, stones, lead, metals, air and many more are classified under natural resources. Natural resources are obtained directly from the Earth. Man made objects uses these resources for their benefits. Now let us know what are natural resources.
Everything that you obtain from nature in order to use it or to make something else is called natural resources. The term ‘natural resources’ is not restricted only to humans. Every form of life on earth depends on natural resources for its survival
The trees are natural resources for us in terms of firewood and for animals in terms of food and shelter. Since the very start of humanity on Earth, we have utilised the natural resources around us to make our lives better.
Environmental Pollution
Effects Of Environmental Pollution
Environmental pollution is one of the biggest problems that we are facing right now. It refers to the contamination of the environment around us due to our activities. This environmental pollution covers all the aspects of pollution such as air pollution, land pollution, and water pollution. But the question is, why do we need to think about it now? Everything seems to be alright, so what’s this fuss about?
In the current scenario, our population has experienced an explosive growth. Our current population stands at 7.5 billion and this not the scary part. Ever-increasing population invites threat to nature and results in a shortage of resources. This means that the number of natural resources required to sustain this large number is tremendous. Also, we are using these natural resources without any thought for a rapidly growing population along with our technical ingenuity.
With the advancement of technology, we now have massive oil floating oil rigs to drill deep holes on the surface of the Earth and extract oil. we have also levelled miles and miles of forest, an important natural resource for the sake of agriculture and economic development. Thus, our consumption of oil and the rate of clearing forest area is high and at stake. Due to these threats on natural resources, we are facing an overall increase in the atmospheric temperature which is termed as Global Warming. Some of our water sources such as rivers have become extremely polluted to the level of being toxic while the rest are in danger of being contaminated.
The Need for Environmental and Resource Management
Why do we need to use our resources carefully? Let’s discuss this in a way that makes it easier for you to understand. The resources on this planet are limited. The amount of oil stored in the Earth is limited because it takes millions of years to form. We are using it up at an unprecedented rate due to which we will empty up all the oil quickly. This means that to your children and grandchildren, automobiles and such vehicles will become just a story whereas for our generation the vehicles were a necessity.
The concept of management of natural resources requires us to think about the next generations so that the resources are there for them to use as well and not just finish it up in one gulp. The management of natural resources should also ensure equitable distribution of resources so that all, and not just a handful of rich and powerful people, benefit from the development of these natural resources.
Another factor which must be considered is the increase of pollution around us due to the uncontrolled use of natural resources. We all know how dirty and polluted all the cities are. This leads to the health of the human race as a whole being significantly threatened. We are living longer but it’s tubes and tablets fuelled existence. More and more children in cities are being born with respiratory illnesses due to the air pollution in the cities. Therefore, a proper management of natural resources involves not only controlled usage of natural resources but also the disposal of the pollution generated due to our activities.
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