Environmental ResourcesIntroduction
Man lives among people, learning from each other, he lives on the earth’s surface where he affects it and is affected by it, he also lives with other living organisms and non-living things which affect him and are affected by him…This is the environment.
Objectives: Recognize the concept of environment.
Recognize some environmental resources and differentiate between them.
Recognize how to classify environmental resources.
Environmental resources classification
Environmental Resources:
The environment is the frame in which man lives, affecting and being affected by It, hence the environment represents everything that surrounds man such as water, air, sun, soil, plants and animals that man can't live without.
Environmental resources are the natural wealth that man depends on for his food, clothing and shelter, he depends on them for his life continuation and achieving his prosperities, they include: Water, air, sun, soil, plants, animals, micro-organisms, coal, oil, natural gas, minerals and others.
Environmental resources can be classified by two methods: Living and non-living resources or permanent, renewable and non-renewable resources.
Classification of environmental resources:
Living and non-living resources:
Living resources: include plants, animals and micro-organisms.
Non-living resources: include water, air, sun, soil, minerals and others.
Permanent, renewable and non-renewable resources:
Permanent resources: the sun is the only permanent resource and the only permanent source of energy on the earth's surface, it was created before the existence of man on earth and it will be there till God’s will.
Renewable resources: are the resources which always renew in the environment such as: air, water, soil, and all living organisms.
Non-renewable resources: are the resources which are found in limited quantities in the environment and can’t be renewed again after being used hence are subject to depletion such as: coal, oil, natural gas and minerals.
The sun and energy
The sun as a permanent source of energy:
The sun is the cleanest source of energy and the main source for most of the energy on the earth’s surface since it:
Is the source of light and heat for humans on the earth’s surface.
Is responsible for photosynthesis which takes place in the green parts of the plants where the plant makes its own food.
Is responsible for water evaporation of rivers, seas, and oceans to form clouds.
Is responsible for moving the winds which move the clouds to areas where the rain falls.
Is responsible for the formation of coal and oil.
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What is the relation between the sun and the formation of coal and oil?
The sun is responsible for the plant growth and the formation of the forests of which some have been buried deep in the earth a long time ago with the remains of other living organisms and changed due to high pressures and temperatures into coal and oil.
Use of solar energy:
Generating electric energy:
Done by solar cells which transform the solar energy onto electric energy that is used to provide the power needed to operate satellites and space ships.
For heating:
Solar heaters are used in heating and in providing warm water for people.
Desalination of sea water:
By special equipments that operate by solar-energy to obtain fresh water suitable for drinking or in irrigating crops, this process is done in two steps:
Evaporation: sea water is evaporated thus getting rid of soluble salts.
Condensation: water vapor is then condensed to get drinkable water.
This process may also be used to prepare table salt.
السبت أغسطس 16, 2008 3:05 pm