Ronnesha Austin, Naima Edwards, Mystica Inniss

RESOURCES
More raw materials are being used up as the population of the world increases.
There are 2 main categories that raw materials fall into renewable
resources and non-renewable resources.
Plants and animals can replace renewable resources. Examples include
timber for building and making paper and fish, mollusks, and crustaceans
harvested from the sea and lakes. The term ‘renewable’ can also be applied
to forms of energy such as solar power, wind energy, hydroelectricity, and
ethanol-based fuels
Non-renewable resources are resources that once you have used them are
gone forever. These include energy sources such as fossil fuels, and minerals
such as copper, nickel, zinc, and lead.

01 Fossil fuels
Most of our energy comes from the combustion of fossil fuels and this will
eventually run out. In the Caribbean, most countries import most of their energy
like oil and natural gas. The only countries that have reserves of oil are Trinidad and
Cuba. Oil spills can occur when oil tankers run aground or there is a leak from a
drilling platform. Fossil fuels have devastating effects on the marine environment.

02 Forest Resources:
Trees have been cleared by humans for over 10,000 years and many forests have been
affected; such as forests in temperate regions, and tropical forests of SouthEast Asia and
Latin America (mainly rainforests).

Large scale deforestation has occurred to provide:

Timber for building materials
Newsprint paper, paper, and cardboard
Land for farms, ranches, and plantations (e.g. soya beans and sugarcane)
Land for roads, towns, factories, and other buildings
Fuels such as charcoal and firewood

Deforestation’s Environmental Impacts:

Land Degradation- The thin layers of soil in Tropical Rainforests are very thin and the removal
of vegetation causes the soil to be washed away. This leads to soil erosion, the formation of
gullies, and loss of plant nutrients. The loss of trees causes the land to degrade quickly.
Flooding- As floods become more frequent, more water runs off the land, since not as many
plants absorb the water and it is not transpired into the atmosphere, and not as many leaves
in the forest are there to slow the rate of evaporation from the soil and the rate at which
water reaches the soil. For example; Diego Martini in Trinidad
Habit Destruction- As habitats are destroyed the species of plants and animals that live within
them are threatened by extinction.
Excess Carbon Dioxide- After trees and plants are cut down, the decomposition of the plant
material (e.g. the roots) and the burning of vegetation releases carbon dioxide. These increased
levels of carbon dioxide are not absorbed by the plants since they have been cut down.