Resources: Consumption

and
Sustainability.
Dr. Philip Ibol
 Resource
The meaning of the word ‘Resource’ = Re + Source, that is, Source the place from
which something comes and Re means ‘again’. In other words, ‘resource’ is that which
can last for a certain period of time. Some resources last for a shorter period while
others for a long time. Resource is a source or supply from which benefit is produced.

Resource is that material substance which is used for fulfilling wants of man. It
refers to tangible things like coal, oil, soils, minerals, forests, animals, etc. There are
useful to man in satisfying his daily needs. There are other resources that are not
tangible but are useful to man. Resources can be said to be substances in the
environment.
Saarinen defines resources as mere substances or a form of an external material but
should include the perceptual elements which go to satisfy human wants.
Zimmermann believes that resource is the culture of man which plays a vital role in
transforming natural stuff into resources. For example, Petrol had little use in medieval
times but it is a valuable resource now.
Resources are the basis of economic prosperity of a country. The exploitation and
utilization of resources should be judiciously done so that these prove beneficial to the
society.
Resource can be defined as the means of attaining given ends. The ends is man’s
wants, satisfaction or achievement of social objectives.
RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES
These are resources whose supply shall never exhaust irrespective of their
continuous use. These are kept on being renewed and replenished by nature. The
most important such resources are forests and forest products, water, crops,
vegetables, fruits, fish, vegetation, wild life, animals, air, solar energy, tidal
energy and geothermal energy. Such resources are termed as inexhaustible
resources.
Solar energy is freely available to man and it is in plenty. It is an
inexhaustible resource which man can exploit. Efforts are being made to harness
this energy and in some areas this energy is being used in solar cookers, solar
lights and solar water heaters. However, much needs to be done for exploiting
and utilizing solar energy.
Air is another important natural resource which is inexhaustible. It is used by
living beings including plants. It is also being used in various chemical
industries. Like air, water is an indispensable natural resource. It is the lifeline of
existence of biolife (plants, animals, man) on the surface of the earth.
Water is used for everything right from food to an aid to cleanliness. It is an
important factor in our y to day life. It is used in the industry for cooling and
washing purposes, in agriculture for irrigating crops, for generating hydro-
electricity etc. Water plays a major role in transportation both ocean and in land.
Classification of Resources
Ginsberg divided resources into two namely: biotic and
abiotic resources.
1. Biotic resources: These consists of living things like
man, forests and forest products, agricultural crops,
animals, birds, fish, reptiles, etc. All biotic resources
are renewable but renewability varies from species to
species.
2. Abiotic resources: These consists of non-living things
like minerals and fossils fuels like coal, gas and oil, etc.
There are non-renewable. Certain abiotic resources are
widely distributed on the surface of the earth like coal,
iron ore, gold, copper, oil, silver, lead, etc.
 CONSUMPTION OF RESOURCES
BIOTIC RESOURCES
4. LIVESTOCK: Livestock are domestic animals like
1. FORESTS: Forests include all types of wooded areas
including natural forests, woodlands, shrubs and plantations. horses, donkeys, mules, cattle, reindeers, yaks, sheep,
• Forests play a vital role in the economic development of goats, camels and pigs. Livestock plays an important
country. role in the economy of a country. Livestock is reared for
• They are a store house of timber, firewood, nuts, fodder, the purposes of meat and dairy products; draught
etc. animals; and wool, hair, silk, hides, skins, horns and
• A host of industries like sports, paper, matchbox, bones for industrial uses.
plywood, medicines, etc. draw their raw material from
forests. In fact, forests provide food and shelter to wild
5. FISHERIES: TThis is an act of rearing, producting,
life, clothing, fuelwood, raw materials, grasses etc.
and harvesting of fishes for consumption and economic
• Forests purify the air.
purporses. There are nearly 25,000 fish species. These
• Forests provide initiative and inspiration to the artists,
tracks to the trekkers, games to the hunters, shelter to
are herring, sardine, cod, salmon, halibut, mackeral,
birds and recreation to the tourists. trout, carp, tuna, perch and haddock. numerable species
• Forests in the watersheds of hydro-electric dams prevent of different colors, sizes and shapes of marine life
soil erosion. They play a vital role in enhancing quality of abound on the floor of seas and Oceans like oyster,
environment. whale, seal, crabs, seaweeds, etc. The panorama of
2. AGRICULTURAL CROPS: Agricultural crops are crops under water life is fantastic.
planted for economic purporses. Examples are rice, cassava, • Fish is used as food, feed, manure and raw material
beans, corm, yam, plantain, banana, oil palm, etc. There are for a number of industries. Canning, distribution and
used as food, raw materials for industry, income generation,
other allied activities connected with fish. But from
etc.
commercial point of view nearly a dozen of them are
significant.
3. WILDLIFE: Wildlife includes all forms of life, the wild
flora and fauna, that is, the microbe plants and animals • Fishing is mainly done in Japan, China, CIS, Chile,
excluding cultivated plants and domesticated animals. Wildlife Peru, European countries, U5, Australia, New
forms an important biotic resource of the earth. There serve as Zealand. These are cool temperate countries.
food, shelter, clothing, medicinal, source of income, etc.
 CONSUMPTION OF RESOURCES
ABIOTIC RESOURCES 3. WATER: Water is the most important resource for life. Nearly 97.2%
1. LAND: Land constitutes the most important or principal water lies in the ocean as salt water. Resources of fresh water are very
resource for man. It is the home of man and a theatre where he limited. The demand for water is on the increase day by day on account of
acts. It is on land where man pursues his economic activities in rapid growth of population, agriculture and manufacturing. As such, fresh
water resources are being depleted. Water is precious and indispensable or
order to subsist and live comfortably. All natural resources,
all the natural resources. It is a renewable abiotic resources. Water is of
biotic and abiotic, he acquires from land on which his survival utmost importance in our daily routine. It is an important ingredient in
depends. In fact, land is an indispensable abiotic resource. food. It is used for multiple purposes like cleanliness, washing of clothes,
Land and people are the two basic resources of a nation. industrial purposes, recreation, irrigation, generation of hydro-electricity,
Productive land is the source of sustenance and security. etc.
Economic stability and judicious use of land are inseparable. • Water is a renewable source. Fresh water is available through rainfall
The future of a country and its people depend to a large extent and snow. Underground water is another source for the availability of
water. Occurrence and amount of rainfall and snow varies from
on the conservation of land resources.The major landforms are country to country and from area to area.
(i) Plains (ii) Plateau and (iii) mountains. • Lakes, rivers and underground water resources are under constant
pressure for supplying fresh water for different uses.
2. SOIL: Soil supports growth of plants on the earth's surface.
Plants derive their nourishment from it. The importance of soil 4. MINERALS: A mineral is a natural inorganic substance produced by
in the growing or plants and crops has been recognized by man natural processes. It is a compound of some elements in chemical
composition like quartz which is a chemical compound of silicon and
since ages. Soils are formed as a result of disintegration and oxygen. A mineral possesses certain characteristics such as: it should be
decomposition of rocks and of the vegetable and animal fossils inorganic in origin, it must have some chemical composition and it should
imbedded in them. Soils are formed by the mechanical be found in nature.Minerals have some physical and chemical properties.
disintegration and chemical decomposition of parent rocks. There exist nearly 2000 minerals of different kinds in different parts of the
Soil formation is a very slow but a ceaseless process. Climate, world. Minerals have always played a very significant role in the economic
development in the history of mankind. For example, copper was the first
particularly rainfall over a long period of time, is the most
metal discovered and used by man since long and that period was
important factor responsible for successive changes in soil associated with copper.
formation. Minerals are indispensable to man, animals and plant life. Plants gets
minerals from soils. Animals get minerals from plants whereas man gets
minerals by consuming vegetables, meat and milk.
Minerals are the basis or foundation of industrial world. They provide raw
materials to the manufacturing industries. Their distribution on the surface
of the earth is very much uneven and imbalanced.
 Regional Distribution of minerals in the World
Minerals Locations
1. Iron ore CIS (Ukraine, Russia, Kazakistan), Brazil, Australia, China, USA, India (Goa, Orissa, Chhatisgarh,
Madya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh), Canada, Germany, Spaln, France, Sweden, U.K., Japan,
Morocco, Tunisia, Union of South Africa, Chile and Venezuela.
2. Copper Chile, USA, Canada, CIS, Zaire, Zambia, Peru, Brazil, India, China.
3. Bauxite N. Australia, Guinea, Jamaica, Brazil, Surinam, Yugoslavia
4. Gold South Africa, USA, Australia, CIS, Canada, China, India (Ramgiri gold fields, Anantpur district of Andhra
Pradesh, Kolar fields in Kolar district of Karnataka and Hulti mines in Raichur district of Karnataka).

5. Silver Mexico, Peru, CIS, USA, Canada, Australia, Poland.

6. Manganese CIS, South Africa, China, Gabon, India, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Ghana.
7. Tungsten China, Mongolia, Portugal, Australia, Austria, CIS, Bolivia, Brazil, USA.
8. Cobalt USA, Canada, CIS, Morocco, Zambia, Australia
9. Chromium South Africa, CIS, Turkey, India, Brazil
10 Nickel Canada, CIS, Cuba, Myanmar, Venezuela

11 Aluminum Caribbean Islands, CIS, USA, India

12 Tin Malaysia, China, Bolivia, CIS, Thailand

13 Lead USA, Australia, CIS, Canada, Peru, China, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, Morocco

14 Zinc CIS, Australia, Mexico, Japan, Peru, Italy, Zaire, Spain, Sweden

15 Mica CIS, India, Brazil, Norway

Conservation of Natural Resources
1) Conservation of Soils. It prevents soil erosion.
Soil conservation measures are categorized as: Agronomic
Methods, Forestry Measures and controlled grazing and
plantation of shelter belts).
Engineering Measures (Contour terracing, and
construction of small dams).
2) Conservation of Forests. Forests play an important role in
the economy and are a major component of man's
environment. Forest conservation methods are:
Afforestation
3) Conservation of Fish
4) Conservation of Wildlife
5) Conservation of Minerals
6) Conservation of Water Resources
Environmental Sustainability
Environmental sustainability is the managing energy and resources so as
to minimise the environmental and ecological impact of human activities
now and for the future.

Five Key steps to Environmental sustainability

0. No policy 3. Environmental Management Systems
No policy within the company at any level. No Commitment and Planning
checking legal compliance. No acceptance of Implementation and Management
responsibility. Quantitative and Qualitative Indicators of
Performance
Ongoing Review and Continual Improvement
1. Environmental Compliance
Establishing legal environmental compliance 4. Environmental Performance
Environmental Policy and commitment register. Environmental Performance Evaluation (e.g ISO
14032)
2. Environment Management Basic Life Cycle Assessment
Best Practice - Identification and Evironmnetal Reporting
Implementation
Sectoral Benchmarking (working towards ISO 5. Environmental Sustainability
14001) Ecological Foot-Printing and Back-Casting
Emission and Impact Reduction Strategies
Innovation and change of thinking