Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources Spring 2017

Renewable Resource Resources that can Regenerate if they are alive Be replaced by biogeochemical cycles if they are non-living They are not necessarily unlimited They can easily become limited by overuse Examples: Trees Water

Nonrenewable Resource Nonrenewable Resources- Resources that cannot be replenished by natural processes Examples: Fossil fuels Coal Oil Natural Gas

Sustainable Development A way of using natural resources Without depleting them Causing long term harm

Resource: Land Type: Sustainable Development: Issue: Soil is renewable Issue: Plowing land removed roots that held soil in place Increased soil erosion Lost topsoil turned productive areas into desert Sustainable Development: Contour plowing reduces erosion Leaves stems and roots

Resource: Forest Type: Issue: Sustainable Development: Some are renewable, some are nonrenewable Issue: Deforestation leads to severe soil erosion Prevents regrowth of trees Old-growth forests take centuries to grow back Logging causes loss of species Sustainable Development: Forest management Tree farms

Resource Type: Fishery Renewable, but now loss of species Issue: Overfishing between 1950s and 1990s Fish caught went from 19 million tons to over 90 million tons Species began to shrink rapidly Sustainable development- Guidelines for commercial fishing Agriculture Raising fish to eat

Resource: Air Type: Issue: Sustainable Development: Renewable Issue: Smog from automobile exhausts Industrial emissions Burning of fossil fuels release pollutants Pollutants cause health problems after long exposure Acid rain Sustainable Development: Emission control standards Clean air regulations Electronic cars

Resource: Freshwater Type: Issue: Sustainable development Renewable but limited Issue: Pollution threatens water supplies Improperly discarded chemicals, landfills seeps into groundwater Sewage that is untreated Sustainable development Water conservation Water treatment plants Point source pollution is pollution that enters the water supply from a single source.