Social studies lesson 3 - Natural Resources

Natural Resources

Natural resources are those things that is provided to us by nature, they are not man-made but are useful to man.
Some of such naturally occurring materials like air can be found everywhere but others like gold are more available in certain places. So we can say that natural resources are not evenly distributed in our environment and around the world.

^{source natural resource like gold has many uses}

Common examples of natural resources include air, soil, sunlight, water, stone, plants, crude oil, animals and fossil fuels.

Types of Natural Resources

Natural resources can be grouped into two major categories.

1. Renewable:
This are natural resources that can not be exhausted because they quickly get replenished as we use them. We can't use up all the fresh water because a process called the water cycle is giving us more fresh water. We can not use up all the sunlight or all the oxygen.
Other natural resources that are renewable are:
• Plants
• Soil
• Forests
• Wind
• Waves
• Tides

2. Non – Renewable :
Non – renewable resources are those resources that can be exhausted either because they are replenished at a very slow rate over millions of years or can not be recovered at all. Some examples of nonrenewable resources are:
• Petroleum
• Natural gas
• Nuclear energy
• Metal ores
• Top soil

^{source The vegetation, the sand and sea are naturally occurring}

Distribution of natural resources

As mentioned earlier, natural resources are not evenly distributed. The different regions of the world have their own natural resources. The United States has plenty of coal, while Afghanistan has a lot of crude oil buried underground, Nigeria has it's reserve of oil off it's shorelines.
Countries like Angola also has offshore resources in the form of salt, lobster and fish. Countries like Brazil have huge reserves of Uranium, gold and iron ore.

Uses

Natural resources are useful and valuable, crude oil can be processed into Oil, bitumen, and various fuels used to fuel machinery and vehicles. Some natural minerals like diamond and gold are used for jewelry. Stones, sand and rocks are used as building materials in the constriction of roads, bridges and buildings.
The forests produce a variety of trees for timber and paper while it's leaves, back, sap, steams and roots provides materials for pharmaceutical companies to produce a wide variety of drugs.
From the sea, rivers and oceans we get fish and other seafoods, hydroelectricity is generated by harnessing the kinetic energy of Rivers.

Conservation

We know this resources are very valuable and there is a risk it could be exploited or overused unless laws are put in place to control it's exploitation.
Without laws to control the exploitation rate of this resources, some life forms may get extinct with effects on our ecosystem. Large chunks of Rain forest may be cleared for timber which may affect our oxygen balance, disrupt wildlife animal habitat and making more endangered species. We do not have the science or technology to recover an extinct species or Replenish depleted natural resources.
It is therefore crucial to conserve natural resources, knowing that they are exhaustible and cannot be reproduced or manufactured by humans.

Other problems

The exploitation of this raw materials can lead to other problems like:
• Air pollution
This is the introduction of substances into the air that makes it harmful to humans resulting in respiratory problems.
^{sourcecoal power plants can greatly pollute the air}

• Water pollution
Offshore oil exploration have resulted in spillage that have polluted rivers, lakes and springs of waters making them harmful and killing it's habitat.
^{sourceour water has been polluted by Out activities}

• Soil contamination
This is the deposition of any solid or liquid material on the top soil that has adverse effect on the soil, making it unfit for agriculture or other uses. Crude oil spillage has been a major land pollutant in many areas.
^{sourceThe land can equally get contaminated}

• Habitat destruction
Many forest dwellers have become homeless when there habitat are destroyed by deforestation

Conclusion

We really have to be responsible in the way we manage the natural resources in our environment especially those that are non renewable within our life span. We have to keep our environment and the planet safe for us and others in the future by controlling the way these resources are exploited.

See you next week.

Keep yourself busy with this homes

1. Define natural resources in your own words
2. Mention some natural resources that are peculiar to your country.
3. What are the uses of any 5 national resources
   4.Explain the term "renewable natural resources" .
4. What body regulates the extraction of natural resources in your country
5. Provide the pictures of 5 natural resources that are accessable to you. Because they are accessable to you, pictures must not be surced.
6. Besides it's use in the making of jewelry, what are other uses of gold.

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