Environmental resources

A resource is something that is used by people to survive and improve their lives.

1. Which of the following do you think is an environmental resource (natural resource)?

Place a tick () under your choices.

i ii iii

 ✔ ✔

iv v vi

✔ ✔ 

vii viii ix

✔ ✔ 

2. Using the ideas you gathered from the previous task, suggest a definition for an environmental
resource.

An environmental recourse is a recourse collected though natural occurring materials and

substances such as water, trees and animals.

3. Can you think of any environmental resources that are not represented in the images above?

4. Choose one of the images above and explain how humans have used an environmental resource to
develop a product, e.g. humans use timber from trees to make furniture.

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 Some environmental resources are available to be used all the time and they will not run out
(continuous); others can be used again if they are managed properly (renewable), while
others will eventually run out (non-renewable).

5. Decide whether the images below show continuous, renewable or non-renewable resources.
Tick your choice.

Sunlight Trees Water

i ii iii

 renewable  renewable  renewable

 non-renewable  non-renewable  non-renewable
 continuous  continuous  continuous
Soil Fossil fuels Minerals

iv v vi

 renewable  renewable  renewable

 non-renewable  non-renewable  non-renewable
 continuous  continuous  continuous

6. Humans use a range of natural resources and often one resource relies on another to be more
effective. This is described as an interrelationship. Describe one example of an interrelationship
between any two of the above resources and how this interrelationship would contribute to human
wellbeing.

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 The sun is the environmental resource that might be described as the powerhouse of the
planet. It is an important source of the world’s natural energy. Water is also vital if organisms
on this planet are to survive.

7. List ways you and members of your household used water in the last 24 hours.

8. Do you think you or any member of your household wasted water in the last 24 hours?
Explain your answer.

Sustainability is the capacity of humans and other living creatures to live productively and
harmoniously in the natural environment now and into the future. To do this, environmental
resources need to be managed well (particularly non-renewable resources) so they can be
‘sustained’ and not severely depleted or used up, so they are no longer available in the future.

9. Water is a renewable resource. This planet contains the same amount of water it did millions of
years ago. However, water can become non-renewable in some places on this planet if it is not
used sustainably. Give one example of what might make water non-renewable in a particular place.

Attributions
Task 1:
i http://pixabay.com/en/pc-computer-images-internet-page-185837/?oq=table
ii http://pixabay.com/en/water-blue-lake-ocean-sea-114265/?oq=lake
iii http://pixabay.com/en/forest-trees-ecology-environment-272595/?oq=trees
iv http://pixabay.com/en/sun-fireball-solar-flare-sunlight-11582/?oq=sun
v http://pixabay.com/en/mine-archaeological-site-heap-217926/?oq=coal
vi http://pixabay.com/en/cartoon-microwave-oven-cooking-29056/?oq=microwave
vii http://pixabay.com/en/fish-fischer-catch-fish-market-210844/?oq=fish
viii http://pixabay.com/en/cows-grass-meadow-field-herd-73371/?oq=cow
ix. http://pixabay.com/en/shoes-shelf-display-presentation-107400/?oq=shoes
Task 5:
i U.S. Air Force, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Giant_photovoltaic_array.jpg
ii http://pixabay.com/en/wood-tree-trunks-timber-holzstapel-62636/?oq=lumber
iii http://pixabay.com/en/dam-water-mass-sluice-open-209761/?oq=dam
iv http://pixabay.com/en/grow-plant-sprout-green-dirt-259806/?oq=dirt
v https://pixabay.com/en/air-pollution-building-energy-1866788/
vi http://pixabay.com/en/gold-bullion-bank-finance-savings-163553/?oq=gold

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