Resources

Existence of creatures on this planet is supported by numerous resources. While species other than human beings use only natural resources for their subsistence, human beings use both natural and manmade resources to lead their lives. Below we list down both natural and manmade resources used by us at our homes and classrooms.

Resources used in homes:

a. Natural resources:

i. Water: Water is one of the bare necessities of human life on this planet. Most of the water, however, that is found in nature is not fit for human consumption. It has to be, thus, chemically treated by different procedures in order to make it edible and safe.

ii. Air: Air is another bare necessity of life. All creatures need Oxygen to survive on this planet. Without it, there would be no sign of life on Earth.

iii. Mineral like salt and sugar: Salt and sugar is basically used in our kitchens to enhance the taste of our food.

b. Human made resources:

i. Washing machines: Washing machine can be considered a luxury. It is used by people to wash clothes electronically in order to reduce their time and effort.

ii. Geyser: Geyser is again a luxury. It is used to heat water. It is mostly used in urban areas.

Resources used in classroom:

a. Natural resources: Natural resources that we use remain same irrespective of where we are.

i. Water ii. Air

b. Human made resources:

i. Benches: Benches are made out of wood and is used for seating in classrooms.

ii. Duster: Duster is simple man made equipment which is used to erase anything written on blackboard/whiteboard with chalk/marker.

iii. Computer: Computer is an electronic device used to perform various functions like typing documents, surfing internet and many more. It’s presence in school is important to make children ready to function in an electronic age.

Ans. Old folk songs, good weather, a good singing voice, grandmother’s home remedies, affection from friends and family. The circled entities do not have any commercial value in the sense that you cannot take them to market to sell and earn money immediately. However, each of these resources plays an important role in improving the quality of our life. They have a positive psychological impact on our lives and are something for which we feel as much gratitude as we do for things that have monetary value.
These resources are- intelligence, beautiful scenery, clean environment, old folk songs, good weather, a good singing voice, grandmother’s home remedies, affection from friends and family.

Renewable Resources: Solar energy, water (hydro) energy, wind energy and to some extent, plants and shrubs.

While it is true that renewable energy resources are available in plenty and can be used repeatedly. However, its overuse can have some negative effects. In case of plants and vegetables, as the growth will increase to meet the increasing demand, it will have adverse impact on the underground water table and mineral content. This might lead to delay in growth of plants and vegetables. Secondly, while solar energy and wind energy is available in abundance, the stock of hydro energy is being affected by over use. This is because with the change in climate, rains are becoming lesser especially in tropical regions. This leads to decrease in the water levels of rivers which affect the production of hydro energy.

Human made resources are the sign of human civilization and development. These are resources that have been developed by human beings in order to develop themselves economically, reduce time and effort, enhance their quality of life etc. These resources are made by combining both natural as well as manmade resources. Some such human made resources are:

(i) Roads: Roads are basically pathways of development. They connect different cities and towns to each other so that people can move from one place to other easily in search of jobs, business, trade etc.

(ii) Cars: Cars are a medium of transportation. They help a person to be self reliant and not depend on public transport to travel from one place to another. They also play a role in increasing one’s social status.

(iii) Buildings: Buildings are brick and mortar setups for different establishments. Buildings are used for setting up homes, schools, colleges, factories, and other institutions that work in our society.

(iv) Machines: Machines are basically used to reduce human time and effort. In today’s time, there is a machine for smallest task like cutting vegetables to most difficult jobs like installing satellites in outer space.

(v) Refrigerator: Refrigerator is a machine that is used to keep eatable items like fruits, vegetables, dairy products etc fresh and cold.

Sustainable development simply means leading our lives in a way that we leave this world as good, and even better, for future generations than how we inherited it. Sustainable development means using our resources judiciously and keeping our climate clean and safe for future generations. There are some principles of sustainable development. These are:

1. Respect and care for all forms of life. Striving towards co-existence should be our aim.

2. Improve the quality of human life in an environment friendly manner.

3. Conserve the earth’s vitality and diversity.

4. Minimise the depletion of natural resources to ensure its supply for generations to come.

5. Change the personal attitude and practices towards the environment in order to minimize damage do our ecosystem.

6. Enable communities to care for their own environment be creating awareness and educating them about benefits of sustainable living.

Resources are unequally distributed over the earth because of differences in many physical features like terrains, climate and altitude which affect the production of resources.

Resource conservation is the careful management and use of resources in order to ensure that their benefits reach to every member of our society and also for future generations. If we keep using them at a fast pace, they may end up, thus posing problems for the future. We should use resources in such a balanced way that we satisfy our needs as well as conserve them for the future.

They are important because human resources can make efficient use of resources through effective management and skillful utilization. They use their skill and knowledge to transform the natural material into valuable products.

Balancing the need to use resources and also conserve them for the future is called sustainable development. It refers to the overall development of human civilization especially without damaging our natural resources so that enough resources are available for future generation. Each person can contribute by reducing consumption, recycling and reusing things.

Quantity of resource does not affect its classification as a resource. We have many such substances which are available in very less quantity but still classify as resources because of their value and utility.

Medicines to treat cancer are developed after years of research by trained scientists in labs using specialized techniques.

Biotic resources are derived from living organisms of the ecosystem like plants, animals and other living substances.

(a) Potential and Actual Resources:

(b) Ubiquitous Resources and Localized Resources:

The poet refers to the precious resource of water. Water is one of the key elements holding planet earth together and supporting numerous lives on this plant. Water is important to all sorts of life. Water is important for the growth of plants, for cooking food, for all sorts of agricultural, industrial and household practices. If this resource disappears, all the activities would come to a halt. The earth will turn to desert. We would not have food to eat as plants will not be able to grow. Living creatures will not be able to survive and the earth will soon perish.

In pre-historic times, wind was not considered to be a resource which could be put to much use. Me and my friend could use wind to fly our kites high.

In the year 2138, wind would be an important source of energy. It would be used to produce electricity through wind mills. It is an important resource now.