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Chapter 14: Resource Issues

The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography

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Why Are Resources Being Depleted?

• Energy resources– Animate versus inanimate power– Energy supply and demand

• Five-sixths of the world’s energy supply comes from coal, natural gas, and oil

– Finiteness of natural resources• Renewable versus nonrenewable resources

– Proven reserves– Potential reserves

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Per Capita Energy Consumption

Figure 14-1

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U.S. Energy Consumption

Figure 14-2

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Outlook for World Petroleum Production

Figure 14-3

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Coal Production

Figure 14-4

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Proven Reserves of Fossil Fuels

Figure 14-5

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Why Are Resources Being Depleted?

• Energy resources– Uneven distribution of fossil fuels

• Location of reserves

– Consumption of fossil fuels– Control of world petroleum

• OPEC• Changing supply and demand

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Why Are Resources Being Depleted?

• Mineral resources– Metallic or nonmetallic

• Nonmetallic = 90 percent of extraction is for building stone

• Ferrous metallic minerals = iron ore, chromium, manganese

• Nonferrous metallic minerals = aluminum, copper, zinc

– Precious metals = gold, silver, platinum

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Why Are Resources Being Polluted?

• Air pollution– Global scale

• Global warming– Greenhouse effect– The ozone layer and CFCs

– Regional scale• Acid precipitation and acid deposition

– Local scale• Carbon monoxide • Hydrocarbons and photochemical smog• Particulates

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Global Warming

Figure 14-15

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Acid Deposition in North America & Europe

Figure 14-18

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Smog in Mexico City

Figure 14-19

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Why Are Resources Being Polluted?

• Water pollution– Sources

• Agriculture• Water-using industries• Municipal uses

– Impact on aquatic life• Biochemical oxygen demand• Wastewater and disease

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Why Are Resources Being Polluted?

• Land pollution– Solid-waste disposal

• Sanitary landfills– Two alternatives to landfills: incineration and

recycling

– Hazardous waste disposal• In 2007 = about 47 million tons disposed of in

the United States

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Why Are Resources Being Polluted?

• Renewing resources– Nuclear energy

• Potential accidents• Radioactive wastes• Bomb material• Limited uranium reserves• High cost

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Percentage of Electricity Generated from Nuclear Power

Figure 14-23

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Why Are Resources Being Reused?

• Renewing resources– Leading renewable energy resources

• Biomass• Hydroelectric power• Wind power• Geothermal energy• Solar energy

– Active– Passive

• Renewable energy in motor vehicles

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Electricity From Hydroelectric Power

Figure 14-26

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Why Are Resources Being Reused?

• Recycling resources– In the United States recycling has steadily

increased since 1970– Recycling collection

• Pick-up and processing– Recyclables are collected in four ways: curbside,

drop-off, buy-back, and/or deposit

• Manufacturing of recycled products

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Sources of Solid Waste

Figure 14-30

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Why Are Resources Being Reused?

• Recycling resources– Other pollution reduction strategies

• Reducing discharges• Increasing environmental capacities

– Comparing pollution reduction strategies• It seems clear that consumers must learn to

use/waste less for a safer, cleaner environment

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A Coking Plant

Figure 14-32

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Why Should Resources Be Conserved?

• Sustainable development– Improving quality of life while preserving

resources for future generations– Conservation

• Sustainable use and management of resources

– Preservation• Maintenance of resources in their present

condition

– Impact on economic growth

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Sustainable Development

Figure 14-33

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Pollution Compared to a Country’s Wealth

Figure 14-34

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Why Should Resources be Conserved?

• Biodiversity– Geographic biodiversity versus biological

biodiversity• Biologists = most concerned with genetic diversity• Geographers = most concerned with

biogeographic diversity

– Biodiversity in the tropics• Occupy 6 percent of Earth’s land area but contain

more than 50 percent of all species

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The End.