Humans and Nature: Depletion of Natural Resources by Humans

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Humans and Nature: Depletion of Natural Resources by Humans

Early in human history, people used energy for heating, lighting, and cooking. As humans began to farm larger areas of land, their energy demands changed. Domesticated animals were used for energy sources to pull plows. When the Industrial Revolution occurred, people's energy demands further changed to meet the needs of industry. Work that was done by people and animals were then transferred over to machines. These machines required more natural resources such as iron and coal to produce large amounts of steel for tractors, pipes, and other devices. As the population increased, the demand for more products, such as clothing, shoes, and household items required more energy to be produced. The increased use of machines eventually led to an increased need for power. The needed power could only come from natural resources.

The abundance of natural resources used to be generally assumed, but in recent years, questions are beginning to be raised, including the availability of fuel and other minerals. Decreasing supplies of natural resources and increasing world population growth has added pressure to the world's search for energy. Humans have harmed nature by overusing, wasting, and abusing its supply of natural resources.

Growth in human population and in material living standards leads to increased production. More production, given the technologies that are currently employed, result in a rapid depletion of many natural resources and to the production of numerous pollutants which are not only dangerous to the environment, but are also, employed on a scale which cannot be absorbed and diluted by the natural environment.

Th...

... middle of paper ...

...html (10 March

1999).

4. Bard, Fossil Fuels and Energy Conversion. 14.

5. Talbot, Jeffrey “The Value of Ecological Resources.” EPRI Journal, July 1998,

8-17.

6. Maret, Susan “Natural Resources.” Choice, October 1998, 294-295.

Works Cited

- Bard, Stephen, Fossil Fuels and Energy Conversion. New York: GEM, 1995.

- Crites, James. "The War for America's Natural Resources." The American Political

Science Review, December 1998, 947-948.

- Maret, Susan “Natural Resources.” Choice, October 1998, 294-295.

- Stockett, William R. "The Energy Story" http://www.energy.ca.gov/

education/story/story-html/chapter05.html (10 March 1999).

- Talbot, Jeffrey “The Value of Ecological Resources.” EPRI Journal, July 1998,

8-17.

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