Question

Humans require specific resources to exist:

a) Identify the five basic resources needed;

b) identify whether they are renewable or nonrenewable.

Do you favor a sustainable or non-sustainable society and why?

Answer 1

Humans require resources to live a life.

Resources can be natural or man made.

Natural resources include sunlight, atmosphere, water, land along with plants and animals.

Now the 5 basic resources needed are as follows

1. WATER : Earth is 70% water but only 2.5% is fresh water and less then this is portable water, that is, water with which we can drink and cook.

Humans along with all living organisms require water for living.

Our body has maximum amount of water in the body.

2. AIR : Clean air is necessary for existance of life.

Plants are the main source for oxygen production during photosynthesis. That is, plants use carbon dioxide and release oxygen during this process.

All plants and animals require oxygen for the respiration to occur.

In humans proper oxygen helps lungs as well as heart to function properly and to supply oxygen ro all parts of the body.

3. SOIL: Humans along with animals are directly or indirectly dependent on plants for food and for plants to grow well, the soil should have all the required macro and micro nutrients in the soil such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, etc.

4. SUNLIGHT: Sunlight is a major part as a food resource. Plants take up the light for photosynthesis and help in making food for organisms. Plants are therefore known as autotrophs, that is who make their own food and rest are heterotrophs, that is who are dependent on plants for food.

Without sunlight, there will be no activation of chlorophyll, and no photosynthesis.

5. IRON : Industrialization is increasing causing more and more building and industries to build up.

Buildings in which humans take shelter are made up with iron and cement. The strength is from iron which withstand the forces.

Many weapons are also made from iron.

Sunlight, water, air are renewable natural resources.

Sunlight is the only source which is completely renewable and can be used without any harm.

Water is said to renewable because water is obtained from rain cycle but due to global warming, there are acid rains as well as less rains which can anytime become non renewable which we never know. Therefore water should be used wisely.

Air also is a renewable resource until tress and forests are not cut down. As mentioned before that plants are the only source of oxygen, we should keep on planting new ones.

Soil, iron are non renewable resources.

Soil is getting degraded by salinization, erosion, acidification, high use of fertilizer which makes the land or soil barren or poor for vegetation.

Plants are the only source of food and soil thus is a major resource for food.

Iron is getting depleted due to high Industrialization and high population density which increases the amount of buildings and construction.

Sustainable and non sustainable environment-

Sustainable environment- environment which has al the natural resources which will never get depleted and can be used how much ever you want.

There is no harm to the environment nor the ecosystem.

Non sustainable environment- environment which has all the exploitation environment along with waste and pollution.

I would favor a sustainable environment because it is not harming the eco system nor is depleting any natural resource.

Example is sunlight which can be used as solar power

Wiind for wind power to generate electricity through wind mills.