Day without coal or mineral oil ??

 

Conservation of minerals:

Minerals are very precious and very supportive for human lives. Iron, copper, coal, petroleum and other minerals have a thousand and one uses. The loss of even one of these non-renewable resources would affect our life considerably. Careful mining helps us to conserve coal, iron and oil-deposits.

It seems hard to believe that one day we would have to live without coal or oil. A day without mineral resources, a day without using vehicles... Impossible will be the answer. Yet, there are chances that oil and coal will get exhausted if we continue using them at the rate we do today.

We should take the following steps to conserve non-renewable resources.

1. Prohibiting wastage of resources:

Wastage of resources should be discouraged. For example, using public transport in place of individual vehicles helps to conserve valuable petrol. Use of ‘car-pool’ system where several people with a common destination go together in one vehicle, saves petrol. Switching off fans, lights and coolers when not in use, using cooking gas economically, use of pressure cookers, using tubelights in place of electric bulb are some ways of conserving non-renewable resources which could help in a big way.

2. Use of substitutes:

Alternative sources of energy like solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy, energy from biomas (biogas), etc., can be used on a large scale to substitute the fossil fuels. Use of solar cookers and biogas for cooking must be encouraged.

Eg: # Thailand is using boigas for taxi service instead of using petrol or diesel

       #Recently Sri Lankanperson invented a vehicle which can be operated with coconut oil...etc.

New materials are being developed to substitute non-renewable resources. For example, plastics are now used to make products that once could be made only out of steel. The use of atomic energy can lessen our dependence on coal and oil.

3. Recycling resources:

All types of metal wastes, glass and paper and plastic can be recycled and used again. The local kabadiwala collects all the junk and carap which is recycled and used again to make paper, plastic containers and metal articles. Although plastic is not a natural resource n itself (it is man-made) but uses up lot of fuel in its manufacturing process. Hence, recycling plastic helps to conserve fuels. Recycling paper helps to conserve forests.

4. Repair and use:

In India, we do not discard any object or appliance that doesn’t work. We get it repaired and reuse it. The repair and use economy helps to conserve resources as it discourages production and wastage.

 

Thanking mother nature…

-Thank you for the life giving water resting in the oceans and rivers, flying in the skies, a blessing as rain refreshing and life giving to the land and all its inhabitants.

-Thank you for those laws that make it fly as steam, descend as rain, run as rivers, stand as glaciers and ice - valuable as life.

-Thanks for all those laws and phenomenons in this worldly system that make it useful for the bodily vehicle that our "selves" drive everyday and rest every night.

-What ever you call the "source" - either God or Nature or any other good name - think, realize and be thankful.

-Thanking for helping to lower cholesterol to those used to fight malaria -- originally derived from natural sources.

-Thanking nature for everything I see, touch, smell, hear, eat and drink  always from my heart.

-Power of the ebb and flow of the tides. It all has such a significant meaning whether it's scientific or just plain ole personal.

-Thanking for the gravity  that helps in keeping your feet on the ground.

-Water sources. Rivers, oceans, ponds, streams, your body needs this and should be replenished. 

"To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves".

--Mohandas K. Gandhi      

                                        

Some times it is a curse..................

Some times natural resources are a curse for us, that means abundance of natural resources, specially non-renewable resources like minerals and fuels. The whole world is depend on natural resources especially fuel, it powers transport, construction, manufacturing, food production - our entire economy. Though we thought natural resources are a blessing , yes it was a blessing but, now it's becoming a curse also. Because of over exploitation of these resources.So if these resources runs out the entire economy of the whole world will go down.

"Ten years from now, twenty years from now, you will see: oil will bring us ruin … Oil is the Devil’s excrement."
    —Venezuelan politician Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo, one of the founders of OPEC

Effects:

Oil production in the world 1935 - 2025

War between people and government - The ambitions of the people and the government conflict, due to the large amount of resources and money a country's government amass for their own luxuries rather than for the people. Thus natural resources serve as a curse for the people, who then have a lower standard of living.

Conflict - Different groups and factions fight for their share. Sometimes these emerge openly as separatist conflicts in regions where the resources are produced (such as in Angola's oil-rich Cabinda province)

Taxation - Countries whose economies are dominated by resource extraction industries tend to be more repressive, corrupt and badly-managed.

Dutch disease - The Dutch disease is a concept that explains the apparent relationship between the increase in exploitation of natural resources and a decline in the manufacturing sector.

So we have to face such effects in the near future......................

references - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_curse

Why The Natural Resources Are Getting Depleted

First of all we must have a better understanding about what is meant by depletion of natural resources. Depletion of natural resources means the exhaustion of raw materials within a region.

Resources, such as forests, fish, fossil fuels, and healthy soils are rapidly being depleted, and these valuable gifts of nature are in danger of vanishing from the planet. There are many reasons for this resource depletion. They are;

1.     Over-consumption or unnecessary use of resources
2.     Non-equitable distribution of resources
3.     Deforestation
4.     Overpopulation
5.     Technological and industrial development
6.     Mining for oil and minerals
7.     Aquifer depletion
8.     Pollution

Let’s Talk About Some Main Reasons

Overconsumption and over population

Natural resources in the form of materials, water and energy, as well as the land available to us on Earth, are the basis of all living beings on our planet.  Without the constant use of natural resources, neither our economy nor our society could function.

Humankind has consumed more natural resources over the past century than over all earlier centuries put together. As human populations continue to grow to over 6.7 billion, the rates of consumption and waste are increasing rapidly. As populations grow more rapidly, more people are forced to compete for resources.  Resources have been worn away because of people’s greed. Increased wealth has spurred the demand for resources, like luxury foods. Humans in arid, populous regions, like the Middle East, demand more fresh water, which is endangering freshwater environments and species. In less developed countries, like some African countries, surprisingly more water is wasted and pollution is less carefully controlled than in more developed countries. People all over the world have been forced to focus more attention on consumption of resources and moving beyond individual action. In years to come, people may no longer have the luxury they have today.

Furthermore…………..

 The earth does not contain enough resources to indefinitely sustain the current enormous population growth. For instance, there is a limited area of arable land and living space.China, home to 1.2 billion people or 1/5 the world's population, is an excellent example of the kinds of problems that arise in an increasingly crowded society.

In many areas, there is simply not enough food to feed the growing populations. Each day 40,000 children die from malnutrition and its related diseases. 150 million children in the world suffer from poor health due to food shortages.

Another resource, which cannot keep up with an increasing population, is water. The supply of fresh water is limited. Due to this limitation many problems can be occurred. Also the Creating fresh water can be expensive. A swelling population may have to turn to desalinization for their clean water. Oil-rich Saudi Arabia is the only country for which this process has had any success. However, Saudi Arabia does not require the vast amounts of agricultural water that California and other areas need. Another possible solution to the fresh water shortage is towing icebergs from the polar caps. This is just too costly for many areas.

With the overpopulation the depletion of natural resources are getting increased, because the need of resources for their survival are also increased.

Birth control and family planning is the most suitable method for overpopulation……

  Deforestation

• The term deforestation refers to the clearing of natural forests by logging or burning of trees and plants in a forested area.
• Presently one half the forests on earth have been destroyed as a result of deforestation……….

Causes:

1. ·       Logging (both legal and illegal)
2. ·       Industrialization
3. ·       Agriculture
4. ·       Oil exploitation
5. ·       Human disasters 

Effects:

Because deforestation is so extensive, it has made several significant impacts on the environment,

v Global warming: Because trees and plants remove carbon dioxide and emit oxygen into the atmosphere, the reduction of forests contributes to about 12% of carbon dioxide emissions.

v Decline in Wood: Deforestation causes a dramatic decline in the wood that satisfies industrial, fuel, and other human needs.

v Water Conditions: Deforestation plays a role in the amount of water found in the soil, as well as the level of moisture in the atmosphere

v Precipitation: The loss of vital trees and plants affect the water cycle in many different ways, as the absence of litter, stems, and trunks of trees all play an important role. With less forest covering the land, the ability to ‘intercept, retain, and transport precipitation’ is affected. When precipitation is not trapped, surface water transport occurs at a faster rate. Possible outcomes include flash floods.

This is an aerial photograph that was shot in western Madagascar. As you can see, the dark spots are the trees that are still remaining, but the light orange color is all dirt where thousands of trees were once living. This aerial photograph relates to my topic because wood is one our main natural resources, and deforestation limits the chance to ever grow the trees back in time to use.

How to prevent deforestation

a) Use Recycled Items:

Today, a consumer can purchase a variety of recycled items, including notebook paper, books, toilet paper, and shopping bags. When people use recycled products and make a conscious effort not to waste, the demand for new raw material to replace these items can decrease.

b) Tree Care:

When cutting down trees “single out full-grown specimens and spare younger varieties. In the event that you must remove a tree for a legitimate reason (for safety issues or power line interference), make sure that for every tree lost “another is planted in its place.

c) Farming Practices:

Those who plant crops at a farm can participate in putting a dent in deforestation by rotating crops. It is suggested to replace the habit of using different portions of land each year with using the same portion of land to plant different crops. This practice has proven effective in maintaining soil fertility. Farmers may also embrace many other options, such as high-yield hybrid crops and hydroponics, which relies on a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil.

f) Reforestation

g) Support Conservation Organizations:

Lend your support through donations of your time, money, or actions to organizations that run programs concentrating on the preservation of forest habitats, such as Greenpeace, World Wide Fund for Nature, Community Forestry International, and Conservation International.

Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_depletion#Causes_of_resource_depletion

                    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over-consumption

                    http://www.environmedia.com  

Depletion of natural resources

In recent years, the depletion of natural resources has become a major focus of governments and organizations such as the United Nations (UN). This is evident in the UN’s Agenda 21 Section Two which outlines the necessary steps to be taken by countries to sustain their natural resources. The depletion of natural resources is considered to be a sustainable development issue. The term sustainable development has many interpretations, most notably the Brundtland Commission’s ‘to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’,however in broad terms it is balancing the needs of the planet’s people and species now and in the future. In regards to natural resources, depletion is of concern for sustainable development as it has the ability to degrade current environments and potential to impact the needs of future generations.

Depletion of Natural Resources is associated with social inequity. Considering most biodiversity are located in developing countries,depletion of this resource could result in losses of ecosystem services for these countries.Some view this depletion as a major source of social unrest and conflicts in developing nations.

At present, with it being the year of the forest, there is particular concern for rainforest regions which hold most of the Earth's biodiversity.According to Nelson deforestation and degradation affect 8.5% of the world’s forests with 30% of the Earth’s surface already cropped. If we consider that 80% of people rely on medicines obtained from plants and ¾ of the world’s prescription medicines have ingredients taken from plants,loss of the world’s rainforests could result in a loss of finding more potential life saving medicines.

The depletion of natural resources is caused by ‘direct drivers of change’such as Mining, petroleum extraction, fishing and forestry as well as ‘indirect drivers of change’ such as demography, economy, society, politics and technology. The current practice of Agriculture is another factor causing depletion of natural resources. For example the depletion of nutrients in the soil due to excessive use of nitrogen and desertification The depletion of natural resources is a continuing concern for society. This is seen in the cited quote given by Theodore Roosevelt, a well-known conservationist and former United States president, was opposed to unregulated natural resource extraction

Identifying the causes for the destruction…

 Ø  Natural causes :

       ·      Lightning strikes

        ·      Fires

        ·      Hurricanes

        ·      Earthquakes

        ·      Ice storms

         ·      extinction

Ø Human actions :

            ·      Construction  projects highways,subdivisions,factories and schools.

         ·      Agricultural practices-clearing a field,plowing a pasture,grazing cattle and sheep in a woodlot.

      ·      Forestry and mining

     ·      Pollution.

Problems associated with habitat destruction…

                 Ø Destruction of natural vegetation leads to loss of food and food.

Ø Wetlands are drained, destroying habitat, water, and cover.

Ø Natural waters are damaged by pollution, which causes the death of wildlife.

Ø Air pollution with sulfur dioxides, fluorides, and other acid gases endanger wildlife.

Ø Animals are killed by power vehicles on roads, railways, landing strips and forests.

Ø Diseases from domestic animals are sometimes spread to animal wildlife creating epidemics that endanger large populations.

Ø The introduction of nonnative species can destroy wildlife habitat for native species.

Ø Pesticide poisoning may kill some wildlife organisms and injure others.

Destruction!!!!!

Why should you care?   You should care, because there exists a chain to which all life is linked.   Humans stand not apart, and there is no beginning or end.Destruction of Natural Habitats When people build cities or cut down forests to obtain wood or to clear land for farming, they destroy the habitats that animals need to survive. The habitats of animals in tropical forests are particularly threatened today. People are rapidly cutting down these forests to obtain such valuable hardwoods as mahogany and teak. They are also clearing the land to plant crops. However, soils in such areas are not especially fertile, and farms there produce crops for only a few years.To continue farming in such areas, people have to keep cutting down more of the forests to create new farmland.. Many scientists and other people are especially concerned about the destruction of tropical forests. They point out that these forests have more biodiversity--that is, a greater variety of plant and animal species--than any other place. In fact, biologists discovered a single tree in a tropical forest in Peru that supported 43 species of ants. That is as many species of ants as live in the entire United Kingdom. Even though many types of plant and animal life can be found in one place in the tropics, the total range of many tropical species is extremely small. As a result, when a large area of forest is cleared, all the members of some species are killed. This will greatly limit biodiversity amongst our world’s living species.Today there are sanctuaries that have been set aside to protect the diversity of species within an environment.   But, little or no thought has been given to the conservation of diversity outside these strictly protected areas..Man is not an island that can stand exempt from these gross changes in biodiversity.   How long before we make the world our sanctuary?

Extinction has everything to do with human beings.   We not only contribute to the extinction of species, but we are in turn affected...