1. PLANTS AS A BIORESOURCE

2. USES FOR PLANTS IN OUR SOCIETY
Fuel (ethanol from corn)
Medicine (aloe vera, med. marijuana)
Tools (wood, toxins in wood to kill fish, weapons)
Food
Construction
Alcohol (potato  vodka; grapes  wine)
To breathe!
Shade
Fragrances
Composting
Narcotics
Clothing (ex. Hemp, cotton)
Dyes, tattoos, henna
Paper
Soaps
Flour, mint, herbs, tea, spices
Make-up, cosmetics, beauty and skin care, jewellery

4. Important Crops in Canada (thousands of tonnes)
Wheat 28, 611
Canola 12, 642
Barley 11, 781
Grain corn 10, 592

5. Monoculture
One type of plant is grown in place of the natural ecosystem
What are some pros and cons of this approach?

6. Medicinal Uses 25% of prescription medicines contain plant extracts
Rosy periwinkle (vincristine andvinblastine) – childhood leukemia and Hodgkin’s. Survival rates have gone from 20% to 90% with these 2 compounds
Goldenseal – colds and sore gums
Ginseng – immune system function

7. Biofuels
Most biofuels come from corn (ethanol). What are some pros and cons of this method?
Research is being done to get fuel from cellulose and oil from algae

8. Erosion Control
The paradox of farming: farmers need good soil to farm, yet farming destroys good soil.
2.5 million acres each year are lost to urbanization and soil erosion.
About 1/3 of the country's topsoil has been lost due to urbanization and soil erosion.