Resources

Introduction

Resource Depletion is the general term used for the overall reduction and damage occurring to the resources of the earth. In the context of world resource depletion, the word resource is a widely used expression that can be associated with all our available natural supplies and support systems. [1] Our most valuable resources are those which keep us alive, namely: air, water and the land. The resources which are our very support systems in life are the most critical, for without them we will cease to exist to even enjoy the benefits that the other resources of the earth bring to our life.

Air

The most important resource we have is the very air that we breathe. We often take this life supporting resource for granted but society is starting to become aware of just how critical it is to keep this resource clean. Clearly identifiable smog that resides over most cities in developed countries is making visible the problem of atmospheric pollution. Generally the contamination to our air is a result of excessive amounts of carbon dioxide which gets released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned.

Reasonable amounts of carbon dioxide isn't a problem because it creates a healthy greenhouse effect which is necessary for photosynthesis. Trees also absorb carbon dioxide as they mature. [2] Like most dilemma's associated with human nature the problem is 'excess'. Extreme amounts of carbon dioxide cannot be neutralized by the natural balances within the environment. Landfill gases also effect air quality; not only do they create a volatile methane gas build up which can cause explosions, but also compound air pollution in general. Consequently the air that we breathe will become considerably more contaminated as we continue to put more strains on this precious resource. Obviously carbon dioxide along with many other greenhouse gases are all contributing towards global warming. The demands our very lifestyle's make are making demands beyond what our environment can sustain.

Water

Another critical resource necessary for our survival is water. Our needs for water are wide and varied; the most evident being for drinking. The problem with our water sources is that they are not isolated from the rest of the propounding polluting problems of the environment. When air is contaminated it ultimately effects water; acid rain and other water impurity can be directly related to the poisons that are starting to saturate our atmosphere. Likewise the influencing factors contributing to land degradation also effect waterways and then subsequently our water supplies. A significant pollutant to water is the indirect effect of fertilizers. After farmers have irrigated their property the excess water runs off, or seeps into nearby watercourses. The water carries with it phosphate's and nitrates from the fertilizer used on crops, other pollutants like animal faeces is also mixed into the unwanted water. The build up of such impure water over time starts to significantly effect the quality of water by the time it reaches drinking water supplies. As air and water become more polluted it increases the possibility of disease and illness. The healthy functioning of our body requires that our air and water is kept clean.

Land

Land is another resource, from the land we produce food, which is necessary for survival. Just as air and water can be depleted likewise land has its limitations. The practices of large scale pastoralists and farmers are generally not self sustaining. Often land is used until it has nothing left to give; at this point it is generally good for nothing. Sometimes land used for grazing isn't given appropriate time to recover from the ravishing of livestock and is subsequently left barren. A similar predicament occurs when excessive cropping extracts all the minerals and nutrients out of the soil. Arid land is then subject to significant soil erosion as the top soil gets blown away in the wind.

Excessive land clearing also has detrimental effects because the lack of vegetation basically leaves the land to fall apart. Vegetation and other organisms hold the soil together, promoting the growth of more plant and animal life. This is good for the soil and promotes ecosystems in general. Native vegetation in particular is very important to absorb any excessive amounts of surface water. Cleared land with little vegetation allows extra water to seep down to the water table, ultimately causing the salt effected water below to raise to a height where it effects surface vegetation and then the surface of the ground. This is called salinity and it is not only a major problem to farmers but also to waterways as it transforms fresh water into salt water. Land abuse rather than conservative land utilisation, is a significant factor in why so much land is being degraded.

Non-Renewable Resources

Not only are our life supporting resources depleting but also those resources which have been formed naturally. These are generally classified as non-renewable, because once they have been used it is unlikely that they can be replaced, since their formation has occurred over a long period of time. These are our mineral and fossil fuel resources which are continually depleting. It has predominantly been through the use of these resources, that has brought about the deterioration of our life giving resources. Non-renewable resources work well but their biggest problem is that they don't mix to well with the rest of our environment. The processes to transform these primary resources into secondary materials demand more resources; which in turn creates a demand, but also makes demands on the overall depletion of resources in general. It could be said that they are merely supporting our wants until we can no longer hang onto them. It is at this point in time that renewable resources will supersede a non-renewable exhausted supply.

Renewable Resources

Renewable resources are those that are naturally supplied, their supply is ongoing. Such resources are the sun, wind, water and to a lesser extent wood, provided we don't exhaust them beyond what can be replenished. Renewable resources offer a solution to a depleting non-renewable supply but not without a cost. The price to be paid is a considerable reduction in the excesses of our current consuming lifestyle's. Renewable resources offer a passive alternative in comparison to the power, muscle and impact of mineral and fossil fuel resources. Energy output's on renewable energy at this stage are considerably lower, and will demand limits and a reduction on the energy that we currently consume. An alternative conservative approach will need to be adopted into social thinking and patterns of life.

Economy & Resources

The current principles of economic development are based on increasing growth and the ever expanding use of the earth and its resources. The significant depletion of the resources of the earth are a direct result of a society which makes excessive demands on these resources. Alternatively the conservative lifestyle’s of the native cultures of the earth offer some food for thought in regards to the rapidly declining state of our resources mixed with the ever increasing problem of population. [3] We need to ask ourselves the very logical question of “Is the current lifestyle trend of ever increasing technological and industrial development actually bettering our quality of life. Do our multiplying gadgets and big boy toys actually give us a more abundant life; or more abundant problems and the inevitability of self destruction if we continue on our current course of profit and progress?" [4] Perhaps we need to consider an alternative lifestyle of an economical economy based on living in harmony with the earth and each other by denying our "so called" needs and ever apparent greed’s. This may be a fanciful ideal but will only ever be something we imagine unless our current world view and social philosophy of economics based on consumption is restructured. An alternative self sustaining solution of an economical economy based on conservation is the only logical answer to our current “consuming” economy. We all have the ever pressing obligation and responsibility to ourselves and our children not to live a lifestyle of excessive consumption which is based on land abuse rather than land use.

Conclusion