Chapter: Resources

• Meaning and Value

  • Definition
    • Anything that can be used to satisfy a need
  • Utility and Usability
    • Gives a substance or object utility or use
  • Value of Resources
    • Economic value (worth money)
    • Aesthetic value (beauty, appreciation)
    • Legal and ethical value
  • Time and Technology
    • Important factors that change substances into resources
    • Example: People are the most important resource (skills and technology)

• Types of Resources

  • Natural Resources
    • Drawn from Nature
    • Used without much modification
    • Classification basis:
      • Level of Development and Use
        • Actual Resources: Quantities known, used presently (e.g., Coal in Ruhr region)
        • Potential Resources: Entire quantity not known, may be used in the future (e.g., Uranium in Ladakh)
      • Origin
        • Biotic Resources: Living things (e.g., Plants, animals)
        • Abiotic Resources: Non-living things (e.g., Rocks, soils, minerals)
      • Stock and Distribution
        • Ubiquitous Resources: Found everywhere (e.g., Air we breathe)
        • Localized Resources: Found in certain places (e.g., Copper, iron ore)
        • Renewable Resources: Get renewed quickly (e.g., Solar and wind energy)
        • Non-Renewable Resources: Have limited stock, take thousands of years to renew (e.g., Coal, petroleum)
  • Human Made Resources
    • Natural substances become resources when their original form has been changed
    • Examples: Buildings, bridges, roads, machinery, technology
  • Human Resources
    • Refers to the number and mental/physical ability of the people
    • Education and health help in making people a valuable resource
    • Human Resource Development (HRD): Improving the quality of people's skills

• Conservation of Resources

  • Need for Conservation
    • To prevent depletion and environmental degradation
    • Ensuring future generations can use them
  • Methods of Conservation
    • Sustainable Development: Balancing the need to use resources and conserve them for the future
    • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Minimizing waste generation
  • Principles of Sustainable Development (Rio Earth Summit)
    • Respect and care for all forms of life
    • Improve the quality of human life
    • Conserve the earth’s vitality and diversity
    • Minimize the depletion of natural resources
    • Change personal attitude and practices toward the environment
    • Enable communities to care for their own environment