Causes Effects and Solutions of Depletion of Natural Resources

Overview

Objectives:

 Identify what are the cause and effect of human activities in natural resources
 To know what are the possible solution on the depletion of natural resources
 Identify what are the human activities that are impacting the climate system

Discussion:

Natural resource depletion happens when resources are consumed at a higher pace than
they are replaced. Natural resources are resources that exist in the absence of human intervention
and may be renewable or non-renewable. When it comes to natural resource depletion, the term
is applied to water use, forestry, fossil fuel use, fishing, and mining. Over all, natural resource
depletion is based on the assumption that a resource's worth is determined by its availability in
nature.

A natural resource that is in short supply on the planet has a higher value than one that is
plentiful. The depletion of natural resources is also growing as the global population grows. As a
result, the world's eco-footprint is calculated to be 1.5 times the earth's capacity to sustainably
produce enough energy to meet each individual's consumption levels.

Causes of Depletion of Natural Resources

Overpopulation

There are more than seven billion people on the planet. Nonetheless, the global
population continues to grow, which has accelerated the depletion of natural resources. The
demand for resources and the conditions required to support it grows as the population grows.

It also leads to increased environmental pollution. According to research, developing

countries are increasingly relying on capital to industrialize and sustain their rapidly growing
populations. As a result, natural resource depletion can continue as long as the global population
grows.

Poor Farming Practices

Because of our over-reliance on food production for everyday nutritional needs, humans
are putting a lot of strain on land resources. Poor irrigation practices, for example, are a major
contributor to soil salinization and alkalization, both of which are essential for plant
development. Poor soil management practices, as well as the use of heavy machinery and
farming equipment, degrade the soil structure, rendering it unfit for plant growth.

Excessive use of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides, for example, destroy valuable soil
microorganisms that are essential for replenishing nutrients in the soil.

Logging

According to the World Bank, the global forest lost 1.3 million square kilometers between 1990
and 2016. Similarly, tropical deforestation is expected to occur at a rate of 1% per year, mostly in
Latin American regions. Due to rising population pressure, people are clearing forests mainly for
agricultural purposes.

Humans are now felling trees to make way for housing developments and multiplexes. Because
of the loss of their natural ecosystems, the world loses not only trees but also thousands of
species and a great deal of plant biodiversity as a result of deforestation. Furthermore, increased
logging activities cause soil erosion, which causes natural soil minerals to deteriorate.

Overconsumption of Natural Resources

Large-scale mineral and oil exploration began during the 1760 industrial revolution, and
the activity has steadily grown, resulting in natural oil and mineral depletion. And, as
technology, progress, and science have advanced in the modern period, mineral exploitation has
become easier, and humans are digging deeper to reach different ore. The increased mining of
various minerals has resulted in a decrease in demand for some of them.

Minerals like gasoline, copper, and zinc, for example, are expected to decrease in demand
over the next 20 years. Furthermore, oil mining is on the rise due to an increase in the number of
engines that run on petroleum, exacerbating its decline. The peak oil hypothesis backs this up by
claiming that due to over-harvesting of petroleum, there will come a period when the world will
be unsure about alternative fuel sources.

Pollution

The disposal of pollutants into the natural environment is a major contributor to

population growth and current anthropogenic practices, and as a result, natural ecosystems'
importance is steadily eroded. Sludge, hazardous materials, and poisonous substances, among
other contaminants, are contaminating the soil, air, lakes, and seas.

Uncontrolled releases of carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, sulfur oxide, and carbon dioxide, for
example, have resulted in ozone depletion and global warming – environmental shifts with
depletive effects on various natural ecosystems. Thousands of animal and plant species have lost
their natural habitats and are on the brink of extinction as a result.

Industrial and Technological Development

As more countries achieve big technological breakthroughs, the modern world continues
to become increasingly industrialized. However, as technological advances continue, factories
that emit toxins and chemical by-products that ultimately end up in lakes, soils, and lands are
also expanding. As a result of the by-products and hazardous chemicals, natural habitats such as
marine environments and animals are impacted.

Acidic waters, dead zones, and the extinction of wildlife and marine organisms are only a
few examples of the consequences. The demand for virgin materials for research, growth, and
production has been fuelled by industrial and technological advancements. As a result, more
resources are being used to meet industrial demands, causing natural resource depletion to
accelerate.

Effects of Depletion of Natural Resources

Water shortages

Water resource depletion is caused by contamination, wastage, and the loss of natural
water catchment areas as a result of poor agricultural practices, deforestation, and pollution.
Because of the consequences of deforestation and depletion of water supplies and groundwater,
nearly one billion people do not have access to clean water today. Famine and food shortages are
exacerbated by a lack of water.

Oil depletion

Oil is a non-renewable resource that accounts for roughly 40% of overall global energy
consumption. According to the EIA's International Energy Outlook, the amount of oil left will
only last for 25 years due to the high rate of oil exploitation.

Oil is used in a variety of operations, including manufacturing, farming, mining, and

transportation, and its depletion would be disastrous. Oil depletion has a number of negative
consequences, including a drop in business, a rise in the cost of living in developing countries,
and instability in the transportation sector.

Loss of forest cover

Every year, approximately 18 million acres of forest cover are lost. Half of the world's
remaining forest cover has now been cleared. Furthermore, studies show that increased
deforestation over the last three decades has resulted in a global increase of 12 to 17 percent in
greenhouse gases.
 Soil degradation, an increase in greenhouse emissions contributing to global warming,
loss of biodiversity, increased floods, and drought are all catastrophic consequences of
deforestation.

Depletion of minerals

Phosphorus, gasoline, copper, and zinc, among other minerals, have been increasingly
exploited to meet the needs of the world's seven billion people. According to research conducted
by the Global Phosphorus Research Institute, the earth will run out of phosphorus – an important
element for plant growth – within the next 50 to 100 years.

According to USGS studies, non-renewable resource consumption of natural minerals

and construction materials like copper, sand, gravel, and stone is on the rise.

Extinction of Species

Some species may become extinct as a result of changes in animal living conditions
caused by resource overexploitation and habitat degradation. Thousands of animals call forested
areas home, but deforestation is destroying forest ecosystems. Overfishing and contamination
have also resulted in a significant decline in the number of marine species such as tuna.

Solutions of Depletion of Natural Resources

Controlling Deforestation

Initiatives like the World Bank's REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and
Forest Degradation), the New York Declaration on Forests, and the United Nations' REDD
(Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) could help minimize the loss
of natural resources.
 The programs could also serve as incentives for the general public to preserve forests,
which serve as the habitat and protectors of some of the world's most endangered plant/animal
species and water sources. Sustainability campaigns that seek to inform people about the value of
conserving natural resources should also be implemented in order to concentrate on the long-
term risks of environmental degradation.

Reducing oil, mineral, and material consumption

Oil-rich countries can join forces with the World Bank, state governments, and consumer
goods regulatory bodies to explore how oil and mineral use, as well as exploitation, can be
minimized on a global scale. Manufacturers, for example, could be trained in lean manufacturing
(recycling, re-use, and waste reduction), while customers could be educated about how to reuse,
reduce waste, and recycle.

More exploration and use of renewable sources of energy

Renewable energy sources including solar and wind power should be explored and used further
to minimize reliance on fossil fuels, which is a major source of emissions, climate change, global
warming, and habitat loss.

Protecting wetlands and coastal ecosystems

Wetlands are groundwater-saturated areas that play an important role in maintaining

vegetation cover. Coastal and wetland habitats are therefore critical for food chain sustainability
because they replenish water bodies and provide minerals and nutrients to primary producers
(green and flowering plants), all of which are essential for preserving plant and animal
biodiversity. Coastal habitats also help to monitor marine overfishing and protect coral reefs
when they are protected.
Sensitization and awareness creation

People must be informed about how their everyday activities put a strain on limited
natural resources, as well as their individual contributions to resource depletion. The key goal of
raising awareness is to inspire people to participate in conservation projects in order to protect
and restore the natural environment.

Human activities are impacting the climate system.

 The overwhelming consensus of scientific studies on climate indicates that most of the
observed increase in global average temperatures since the latter part of the 20th century is
very likely due to human activities, primarily from increases in greenhouse gas
concentrations resulting from the burning of fossil fuels.
 Emissions from the widespread burning of fossil fuels since the start of the Industrial
Revolution have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Because these gases can remain in the atmosphere for hundreds of years before being
removed by natural processes, their warming influence is projected to persist into the next
century.
 Human activities have affected the land, oceans, and atmosphere, and these changes have
altered global climate patterns. Burning fossil fuels, releasing chemicals into the
atmosphere, reducing the amount of forest cover, and the rapid expansion of farming,
development, and industrial activities are releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
and changing the balance of the climate system.
 Growing evidence shows that changes in many physical and biological systems are linked
to human caused global warming. Some changes resulting from human activities have
decreased the capacity of the environment to support various species and have
substantially reduced ecosystem biodiversity and ecological resilience.
 Scientists and economists predict that there will be both positive and negative impacts
from global climate change. If warming exceeds 2 to 3°C (3.6 to 5.4°F) over the next
century, the consequences of the negative impacts are likely to be much greater than the
consequences of the positive impacts.
Summary:

 Population development, overconsumption, overexploitation, emissions, and

deforestation are only a few examples of human activities that damage the environment on
a global scale (either directly or indirectly). Some of the issues, such as global warming
and biodiversity destruction, pose an existential threat to humanity, and some experts
blame the crisis on human overpopulation.
 An anthropogenic impact or object is one that is caused by human activity. Russian
geologist Alexey Pavlov coined the word in a scientific context, and British ecologist
Arthur Tansley coined it in English to refer to human effects on climax plant populations.
In the mid-1970s, atmospheric scientist Paul Crutzen coined the word "Anthropocene".
The term is often applied to pollution emissions caused by human activity since the
beginning of the Agricultural Revolution, but it also refers to all significant human
impacts on the environment. The combustion of fossil fuels from a number of sources,
such as electricity, vehicles, aircraft, space heating, manufacturing, or forest degradation,
is responsible for many of the acts taken by humans that lead to a heated climate.

References:

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-depletion-natural-
resources.php

https://www.climate.gov/teaching/essential-principles-climate-literacy/teaching-essential-
principle-6-human-activities-are#:~:text=Burning%20fossil%20fuels%2C%20releasing
%20chemicals,balance%20of%20the%20climate%20system.

La Torre, Ronnie Jr. V.

Student

BSA-III