Mastery Check #2 - Sustainability of Natural Resources
Think of all the things that we use that require energy: Cars, heating and cooling our homes, ovens, refrigerators, and all the other things that require electricity. The energy for these things come from Earth's natural resources. It is important to make sure our use of natural resources is sustainable, otherwise, we will run into serious problems in the future.
Water is a very important natural resource. We use it for many things inside our house such as cleaning, cooking, showering and drinking. Most of the water we use though is used outside of our houses. We use a lot more water to irrigate our yards than we do inside our houses. Most of the water we use is for growing our food. It takes 1000 gallons of water to grow our ONE day's worth of food. This water is used to grow plants that we eat and also to grow plants for livestock (cows, chickens, pigs, etc.) to eat.
- The type of natural resource we use the most for our energy needs is fossil fuels. What are fossil fuels? Why are we so dependent on fossil fuels? What are the cons of using fossil fuels?
- Fossil fuels are coal, natural gas, and crude oil. Coal is used primarily to produce electricity. Natural gas is mostly used to heat our homes and water. Crude oil is used to produce gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel.
- We are so dependent on fossil fuels for the following reasons:
- They are cheep
- They are energy dense - this means we get a lot of energy for a small amount of fuel
- They are reliable - it doesn't have to be sunny or windy to burn coal or gasoline.
- Fossil fuels also have some problems:
- They are produced very slowly and we use them quickly. This means that our use of them is not sustainable. We will run out eventually.
- They produce a lot of pollution when we burn them.
- Perhaps the biggest problem is they produce a lot of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, which means it traps heat on the earth. Scientists agree that the increasing levels of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels is causing an increase in global temperatures.
- Renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric are sustainable because they are produced at the same rate that we use them. Why don't we use more wind and solar energy? What is good about wind and solar energy?
- Wind and solar energy are not used as much as fossil fuels for the following reasons:
- They are not as reliable. It is not always sunny or windy.
- They have a low energy density. This means you have to have a lot of solar panels to get a lot of energy.
- They are expensive. One reason is because they have a low energy density so you have to buy a lot of them to produce enough energy for your needs.
- Wind and solar also have some great benefits:
- They are renewable because we use them at the same rate that they are produced.
- They don't produce air pollution.
- Wind and solar energy are not used as much as fossil fuels for the following reasons:
Water is a very important natural resource. We use it for many things inside our house such as cleaning, cooking, showering and drinking. Most of the water we use though is used outside of our houses. We use a lot more water to irrigate our yards than we do inside our houses. Most of the water we use is for growing our food. It takes 1000 gallons of water to grow our ONE day's worth of food. This water is used to grow plants that we eat and also to grow plants for livestock (cows, chickens, pigs, etc.) to eat.