6th grade - Science class
Renewable and non-renewable resources
Environmental Problems
Maybe you’ve heard warnings about dirty air, water, and
soil. Or you’ve heard about the destruction of rain
forests. Do these warnings mean our environment is in
trouble? During the Industrial Revolution, which started
in the late 1700s, people began to rely more and more on
machines. And the
human population
began to grow at a
much faster rate. As a
result, harmful
substances entered the
air, water, and soil.
Pollution
There are more sources of pollution today than there
once were. Pollution is an unwanted change in the
environment caused by substances, such as wastes, or
forms of energy, such as radiation. Anything that causes
pollution is called a pollutant. Some pollutants are
produced by natural events, such as volcanic eruptions.
Many pollutants are human-made. Pollutants may harm
plants, animals, and humans.
Solid Wastes
As the human population grows, the amount of solid
waste, or trash, that humans produce increases. This
solid waste is often put in a landfill. Other kinds of
landfills contain hazardous wastes. Hazardous wastes
include wastes that can catch fire, corrode—or eat
through—metal, explode, or make people sick. As the
human population grows, the amount of land available
for landfills decreases. So, getting rid of solid waste is
becoming increasingly difficult.
Chemicals
People need and use many chemicals. Some chemicals
are used to treat diseases. Other chemicals are used in
plastics and preserved foods. Sometimes, the same
chemicals that help people may harm the environment.
Fertilizers and pesticides may pollute soil and water.
CFCs and PCBs are two groups of harmful chemicals.
Ozone in the upper atmosphere protects Earth from
harmful ultraviolet light. CFCs destroy ozone. CFCs
were used in aerosols, refrigerators, and plastics. The
second group, PCBs, was once used in appliances and
paints. PCBs are poisonous and may cause cancer.
Today, the use of CFCs and PCBs is banned. But CFCs
are still found in the atmosphere. And PCBs are still
found in even the most remote areas on Earth.
Radioactive Wastes
Nuclear power plants provide electricity to many homes
and businesses. The plants also produce radioactive
wastes. Radioactive wastes are hazardous wastes that
give off radiation. Some of these wastes take thousands
of years to become harmless.
Gases
Earth’s atmosphere is made up of a mixture of gases,
including carbon dioxide. The atmosphere acts as a
protective blanket. It keeps Earth warm enough for life
to exist. Since the Industrial Revolution, however, the
amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has
increased. Carbon dioxide and other air pollutants act
like a greenhouse, trapping heat around the Earth. Many
scientists think the increase in carbon dioxide has
increased global temperatures. If temperatures continue
to rise, the polar icecaps could melt. Then, the level of
the world’s oceans would rise. Coastal areas could flood
as a result.
Resource Depletion
Some of Earth’s resources are renewable. But other
resources are nonrenewable. A renewable resource is
one that can be used over and over. Solar and wind
energy are renewable resources, as are some kinds of
trees. A nonrenewable resource is one that cannot be
replaced or that can be replaced only over thousands or
millions of years. Most minerals and fossil fuels, such as
oil and coal, are nonrenewable resources. Supplies of
nonrenewable resources are limited. As the human
population grows, it needs more of these resources.
Resources will become more expensive as they become
harder to find. Also, some methods of obtaining
nonrenewable resources can harm the environment. Such
methods may cause pollution, habitat loss, and damage
from mining,
Soil
Farming, mining, and other human activities can harm
soil. Almost all farming methods increase erosion.
Erosion is the wearing away of soil by wind or water.
Erosion is a natural process. But too much erosion can
cause the loss of land. Also, some farming practices
deplete soil nutrients. Without these nutrients, many
plants and crops cannot survive.
Water
Some resources once thought to be renewable are
becoming nonrenewable. For example, fresh water was
once considered a renewable resource. However, in
some areas, human population growth and agriculture
have had an impact on water supplies. Some of these
supplies are being used faster than they are being
replaced. Eventually, these areas may run out of fresh
water.
Human Population Growth
By 2022, more than 7.8 billion people lived on Earth.
Medical advances, such as immunizations, and advances
in farming made human population growth possible.
Overall, these advances are beneficial. But some people
argue that there may eventually be too many people on
Earth. Overpopulation happens when there are so many
individuals in an area that the individuals can’t get what
they need to survive. Overpopulation can happen to any
species, even humans. Overpopulation leads to resource
depletion, starvation, and the spread of disease.
Getting Food
As the human population grows, feeding everyone
without harming the environment becomes more
difficult. More food is needed each year to feed the
growing human population. So, many natural areas are
replaced with farmland. Today, humans produce enough
food for everyone on Earth. But some areas do not get
enough of this food. Eventually, these food shortages
may become more widespread as the human population
grows. Droughts and floods may also decrease food
production in some areas.
Moving People
As you can see, people are always on the move—they’re
going to work, visiting family, or taking trips to the
store. Getting people from one place to another requires
natural resources. As more people move around, more of
these resources are needed. Some of these resources,
such as fossil fuels, are
nonrenewable. And using
some of these resources
contributes to pollution.
Habitat Destruction
People need homes. People also need food and building
materials. But when land is cleared for construction,
crops, mines, or lumber, soil may erode. Chemicals may
pollute nearby streams and rivers. The organisms that
were living in these areas may be left without food and
shelter. These organisms may die.
An organism’s habitat is where it lives. Every habitat has
its own number and variety of organisms, or
biodiversity. If a habitat is damaged or destroyed,
biodiversity is lost.
Forest Habitats
Trees provide humans with oxygen, lumber, food,
rubber, and paper. For some of these products, such as
lumber and paper, trees must be cut down. Deforestation
is the clearing of forest lands, as shown in Figure 6. At
one time, many of these cleared forests were not
replanted. Today, lumber companies often plant new
trees to replace the trees that were cut down. However,
few of the organisms once found in the area can be
replaced. So, some biodiversity is still lost. Tropical rain
forests, the most diverse habitats on Earth, are
sometimes cleared for farmland, roads, and lumber. But
after a tropical rain forest is cleared, the area cannot
grow to be as
diverse as it once
was. Also, thin
tropical soils are
often badly
damaged.
Marine Habitats
Many people think of oil spills when they think of
pollution in marine habitats. This is an example of point-
source pollution, or pollution that comes from one
source. Spilled oil pollutes both open waters and coastal
habitats. A second kind of water pollution is nonpoint-
source pollution. This kind of pollution comes from
many sources. It is often difficult to identify the sources
of nonpoint-source pollution. Nonpoint-source pollution
can happen when chemicals on land are washed into
rivers, lakes, and oceans. These chemicals may harm
many of the organisms that live in marine habitats. In
addition to oil and chemicals, plastics are sometimes
dumped into marine habitats. Animals may mistake
plastics for food. Or animals may become tangled in
plastics. Dumping plastics into the ocean is against the
law. However, this law is difficult to enforce.
Effects on Humans
Pollution and habitat destruction not only harm plants
and animals. Pollution and habitat destruction can harm
humans, too. Polluted air affects people who have
respiratory problems. Polluted water can make people
sick. Some chemicals cause cancers many years after a
person is exposed to them. Environmental problems can
affect the economies and policies of many nations.
Pollution is expensive to clean up. Some
polluted areas may be unsuitable for people to live in.
Resources may cost more because they are hard to find.
Reduced food production due to pollution and erosion
can cause starvation and disease. By monitoring the
environment and taking steps to protect it, people can
prevent many of these problems.
Activities
1. The statements below are false. For each statement,
replace the underlined term to make a true statement.
a) Coal is a renewable resource.
b) Overpopulation is the number and variety of
organisms in an area.
Understanding Key Ideas
2. Which of the following can cause pollution?
a. gases b. solid wastes
c. chemicals d. All of the above
3. Pollution
a. does not affect humans.
b. can affect economies.
c. makes humans sick only after many years.
d. None of the above
4. Compare renewable and nonrenewable resources.
5. Why has human population growth increased?
6. How does habitat destruction affect biodiversity?
Math Skills
7. Jodi’s family produces 48 kg of garbage each week.
What is the percentage decrease if they reduce the
amount of garbage to 40 kg per week?
Critical Thinking
8. Explain how human population growth is related to
pollution problems.
9. Predicting Consequences How can the pollution of
marine habitats affect humans?