Topic 8 Human Systems and Resource Use
8.2 Resource Use in Society
Natural Capital• The resources available for exploitation by humans• These exist in the biosphere, the lithosphere and the
atmosphere• Some natural capital is renewable and replenishable and
therefore in theory can be exploited indefinitely• However, other types of natural capital are non-renewable• Natural capital produces natural income in the form of
goods and services– Goods are marketable commodities such as timber and grain– Services are functions such as flood protection, climate
stabilisation and maintenance of soil fertility
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWOAj7YNLq4
Natural Capital• Renewable
– Living things and ecosystems that can be replaced by natural productivity (photosynthesis) as quickly as they are used up (yield = productivity); e.g. timber, food crops
• Replenishable– Non-living resources which are continually replaced by natural
processes. They depend on abiotic processes for replenishment; e.g. solar energy, geothermal energy, ozone, water
• Non-renewable– Natural resources which cannot be replaced (at least on a
timescale close to that at which they are used). They include fossil fuels and minerals; e.g. fossil fuels, nuclear energy sources, helium
Natural Capital
PRODUCERS CONSUMERS
THE ENVIRONMENT
Waste for recycling
Natural capital (including non-renewables)
Natural income (goods and services)
Financial gain
Non-renewable Natural Capital• These are not renewable or
replenishable and therefore will eventually run out
• It is not yet clear how long the Earth’s fossil fuels will last (new discoveries are being made and new methods of exploitation are being developed)
• It is clear there is a need to minimise use, minimise waste, recycle, reuse and replace fossil fuels
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FSklijcPHghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsV_3yBDXXI
Environmental Philosophies• Technocentric
– A view that shortages of natural capital will always be overcome by advances in technology
– Tends to predominate in MEDCs (where people are more remote from nature)
• Ecocentric– A view that shortages in natural capital are best approached
by limiting the use of non-renewable resources and switching to renewables
– Tends to predominate in LEDCs (where people are in closer contact with nature)
The Dynamic Nature of Natural Capital• The value and status of natural capital changes over
time (it is dynamic)• As new technologies are developed, resources which
once had little value may become valuable commodities (e.g. before the advent of the combustion engine oil (bitumen) was used primarily only as waterproofing for houses and boats; before the nuclear age uranium was not seen as having value)
• Conversely, as old technologies are superseded, resources may also lose their value (e.g. flint used to make stone axes was superseded when metal tools were developed)
The Intrinsic Value of Natural Capital
The Intrinsic Value of Natural Capital• Economic value
– The monetary value gained by producers and paid by consumers
• Ecological value– Services provided by nature independently of economic
value (e.g. prevention of soil erosion, carbon sequestration and oxygen production by photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation)
• Aesthetic value– The appreciation of the beauty of nature
• Recreational value– Holiday destinations and places to relax or use for sports etc.
http://edroness.blogspot.mx/2013/10/putting-value-on-nature.html
The Intrinsic Value of Natural Capital• Consumptive use
– Harvesting (timber, crops, animals, medicines etc.)• Non-consumptive use
– Recreational use and cultural activities• Indirect use
– Benefits provided by the ecosystem itself (water filtration, prevention of erosion etc.)
• Optional use– Potential future use – by your generation (option value), or future
generations (bequest value)• Non-use (existence use)
– Aesthetic valueThere is a lot of debate about how we can find ways to give value to nature. You could argue it is actually impossible
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zuJdY_Wrng
Sustainability
• The rate at which replenishable and renewable natural capital may be exploited to allow regeneration
• Long-term harvesting or release of pollution should not exceed rates of natural capital regeneration
• During processing to produce goods, sustainability should be applied at each level of the supply chain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmnWIOgc39k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5r4loXPyx8
Sustainability• Sustainable Development
– ‘Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (UN World Commission on Environment and Development)
• This concept incorporates economic and social factors together with time
• The problem is your idea of what sustainable development is changes with your viewpoint. An economist’s idea of it would be different to an environmentalist’s (some might actually argue that sustainability and development are actually contradictions in terms)
Sustainability• Not-possible?
– People are not prepared to accept a reduction in their standard of living– Non-renewable resources are running out– LEDCs are home to 80% of the world’s population and are using increasing
amounts of natural capital– The oil lobby is very powerful (especially in the U.S.)– Some problems are local in nature while others are global
• Possible?– Use of renewable resources is increasing– Renewable technologies are become cheaper and more accepted– We may have no choice in the future but to embrace an economy based
on renewable and replenishable resources
The choices we make are largely dependent on our environmental philosophies
Questions
1. Define the term Natural Capital2. Define the terms Renewable, Replenishable
and Non-renewable3. Explain why resources can be considered to
be dynamic in nature4. In what ways can natural capital be
considered to have value?