Natural Resources Conservation

Natural Resources Conservation

Natural resources play an essential part in our lives and are critical in ensuring the overall society as well as environmental sustainability. A significant percentage of natural resources are finite, and thus the need to conserve them. The increasing global population has led to excessive consumption of natural resources (Chiras & Reganold, 2010). As such, numerous organizations have been established to sensitize the public about the importance of conservation. Notably, it helps maintain an ecological balance and also save natural resources for future generations. The right management of a resource is to prevent its destruction or exploitation. Due to the negligence of humans, over-exploitation of these resources has started. Most countries have become consumer nations instead of producers. For this reason, there is an emphasis that individuals monitor their usage of natural resources.

Renewable Resources

Undeniably, I use numerous renewable resources every day. These are elements that can be replenished over time. Timber is one of the prominent renewable resources used across the world. Trees are renewable in the sense that they can be planted by humans or reproduce naturally. Without trees, planet earth would be uninhabitable. Humans and animals rely on oxygen produced by trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide then release more oxygen. Once cut, there is no way of restoring trees (Cullinan, 2008). Despite playing this pivotal role in the survival of humans, people are cutting down more trees than they plant.

There are a wide variety of reasons why people cut trees. In most parts of the world, wood is used as a source of heat. Similarly, I repeatedly use trees for heat purposes. Also, most people use trees to make furniture and lumber to construct houses. Undeniably, I frequently use wood to build and repair various furniture. I largely use bamboo for decoration purposes. Deforestation has been rampant because of the wide range of benefits offered by trees.

Hydropower is among the most used and oldest renewable resources. Currently, most of the countries are switching to hydroelectricity. This is due to the multiple advantages it offers, like reduced pollution, cheap, renewable, and easy to produce (“Hydroelectric power water use”, n.d.). In recognition of these benefits, state of Oregon has invested in the production of hydropower. As a resident of the state, I have thus been using hydroelectricity power. Like most people, I primarily use electricity for lighting, cooling, refrigeration, heating, and operating appliances like computers, mobile phones, television, and radio. On average, I use 914 kWh every month. Cooling accounted for the largest share of my consumption.

Water is one of the most critical natural resources for the existence of life. Even though freshwater is regarded as a renewable resource, most people around the world use groundwater. Notably, groundwater sources are being exhausted. Human actions such as climate change, deforestation, pollution, and urban growth pose a severe danger to water (Chiras & Reganold, 2010). Indeed, every day I use water for various reasons. Primarily, I rely on water for domestic uses. This includes drinking, bathing, food preparation, flushing toilet, as well as washing dishes and clothes. Per day, I use about 100 gallons of water. Recreation is another way that I majorly use water. It is through swimming, fishing, and boating. Also, I moderately use water for irrigating gardens and lawns. I strongly feel water sources should be highly protected due to the vital part it plays in our lives.

Non-Renewable Resources

Soil is one of the world’s most important non-renewable resources as most life on earth relies on it as a source of food. Together with water and air, it forms the basis for life on planet earth. Though soil has many uses, agriculture serves as the key use of soil. This is because it contains vital nutrients for the growth of plants. I have mainly planted flowers. At home, we use soil for large scale farming. Apart from agriculture, the soil is used as a source of medicine, beauty products, and pottery. Indeed, without soil, life on earth would be impossible. Even though most people know that soil is a finite resource, they continuously lead to its exhaustion. It occurs mainly through pollution and erosion. If the current trend persists, soils will no longer support crops.

World’s economic advancement over the years is largely attributed to the discovery of fossil fuel. Most of the used components are coal, natural gas, and petroleum. Carbon is the core element of fossil fuels. For this reason, fossil fuels take millions of years to form, and thus it is considered a non-renewable resource. Notably, I use various components of fossil fuels daily. For instance, I use fossil fuel to get to university. Lately, the usage of fossil fuel has been criticized due to increasing pollution (Hardin, 1968). In recognition of the need to address the problem, I primarily use public transport to minimize contamination.

Short-term Goals

Renewable Resources

While renewable, excessive cutting down of trees will certainly harm humans and animals, through ecological imbalance. Besides, deforestation acts as the primary cause of biodiversity losses as well as the destruction of homes. Rates of deforestation have been on the rise, without it being given adequate attention. This is because most people do not feel responsible for the ongoing deforestation, as they do not cut the trees directly. However, most people are indirectly responsible for the augmented deforestation by increasing the demand for wood-related products. As such, one can lessen the rates of deforestation by reducing the purchase or use of wood-related products.

Notably, there are several ways through which I can reduce the rate of cutting trees. About the conservation of trees, the first short-term goal is to use less paper. The Paper industry has been considered one of the largest industrial sectors in the world. According to a study conducted, various types of papers like glossy, office and catalog, tissue, and packing, accounts for more than 40 percent of all industrial wood traded internationally (“Pulp and paper”, n.d.). The U.S. is among the leading paper consumers. As a way of attaining this goal, I will print information on both sides of the paper. I will avoid unnecessary printing of emails. Though I am a note-taker, I will use online options to prevent paper wastage.

Recycling is a critical strategy of conserving most of the natural resources. Concerning the conservation of wood, I will recycle paper and cardboard. Recycling paper has been directly linked with a reduction in the number of trees cut. For instance, instead of using paper cups for coffee every day, I will purchase a reusable coffee cup. While it may seem unimportant, recycling papers will make a significant difference. As stated, heating is one of my primary uses of firewood. By reducing the excessive burning of wood, I thus help conserve trees.

Like most people, I rely on electricity for vital aspects of my life. Consumption of electricity has been on the rise as more aspects of our life change. Although renewable, most people are unaware of the dangers posed by overuse. It is because the effects are indirect. Harmful effects occur when generating the power. Increased production of electricity leads to the release of more carbon dioxide. For this reason, there is a need to conserve electricity.

Reducing the consumption of electricity is among the key short-term goals. Installing compact fluorescent light bulbs is an effective accomplishing this objective. Besides producing as much light as conventional incandescent bulbs, fluorescent bulbs consume less power. Further, I will ensure that when not being used, electronic devices are unplugged (“Top 5 Steps to Reduce Your Energy Consumption”, n.d.). Often, I leave most of the entertainment devices switched on. I will turn off lights when not in use. Mostly, I forget to switch off the lights, resulting in wastage. Besides, I will use natural light when possible. Apart from lights, I intend to purchase energy efficient appliances. Although they may seem expensive when buying, they significantly reduce the consumption of electricity.

Like other resources, people need to be vigilant, reducing the overuse of water due to the numerous problems associated with its shortage. Markedly, water has been identified as one of the most crucial challenges in the world (Letmathe, 2015). Most countries have a steady supply of water, a privilege that they often take for granted. While this issue is attributed to other factors like poor water infrastructure and management, as well as shortage, overuse is a major cause of the problem. As water is vital to life and fundamental to societal development, people must conserve this precious resource.

Reducing water usage is one of the key short-term goals I have set in the aspect of water conservation. Turning off the taps is an effective strategy to attain this objective. In the past, I did not turn off the water when brushing teeth. Most of the people in the world also do not turn off their taps when brushing, and thus the major cause of water wastage. Instead of rinsing my mouth with running water, I will be using a glass. Fixing leaking taps will as well help reduce water wastage. Bathing has also been a significant cause of water overuse. As such, in the future, I will be taking shorter showers (Crotta, 2015). After reviewing my normal showers, I noticed a lot of water was going into wastage.

Over time, I identified washing clothes as another factor leading to high water usage. To reduce consumption in this aspect, I will be cleaning a load of clothes at a time. In the past, I have been washing a few clothes with almost the same water I use to wash one full load. I will use automatic washing machine for full packs only. I will also avoid washing clothes unnecessarily. This technique will hence reduce water wastage significantly. Watering flowers, as stated, is another major cause of water wastage. Modifying my dishwashing strategies will help minimize water overuse. I will be using the dishwasher when I have a full load of dishes. Instead of using running water to rinse dishes like have been doing, I will be filling a container. I will then reuse the water rather than draining it in the sink. I will use the washing liquid sparingly to reduce the amount of water required in rinsing.

After reviewing my water usage patterns, I identified food preparation as yet another major cause of water overuse. All along, I have been using running water to wash vegetables and fruits. To address this issue, I will be washing them in a bowl, which certainly conserves water. Also, I noticed that I wasted a lot of water while waiting for it to warm up. In the future, I will be collecting this water with a container and then use it to rinse dishes, water plants, or wash vegetables and fruits. Due to the steady supply of water in taps, most people have overlooked the importance of collecting rainwater. I will be using this water to water plants. In the future, I will avoid mid-day plant watering. This is because most of the water evaporates due to heat from sunlight. Undoubtedly, the strategies mentioned above will help reduce water overuse in my household, ultimately conserving the resource.

Non-Renewable Resources

Soil conservation is an integral part of sustainable agriculture and food production. It involves preventing soil from becoming a pollutant in the surface waters. Soil needs to be conserved due to its ability to sieve contaminants that would otherwise go into drinking water. Knowing that it is an exhaustible resource, information about its conservation is widely spread. Nonetheless, most people continue to undertake activities that contribute to their exhaustion, either directly or indirectly.

Regarding soil conservation, my primary short-term goal is to reduce soil erosion. Even though I largely use soil to grow flowers, I indirectly rely on it through the food I consume. As such, I should conserve it. To reduce soil conservation, I will ensure that I continuously plant trees. I will largely adopt mulching when growing flowers. This helps the soil retain water content, a vital way of conserving soil. Generally, every type of pollution harms the soil. In my case, I will focus on reducing air pollution, which results in the formation of acid rain, consequently lowering the quality of the soil (Chiras & Reganold, 2010). I will seek eco-friendly ways to handle pests that attack flowers. Another way of promoting soil conservation is through the purchase of USDA certified organic products. Besides reducing soil erosion, these approaches will enhance the soil’s natural fertility benefits.

Although there is overconsumption of fossil fuels in many nations, oil, gas, and coal are still abundant in the earth’s crust. Nonetheless, there is an increasing awareness concerning the need to conserve fuel sources. Conservation of fossil fuels has mostly been emphasized due to two key reasons. Firstly, fossil fuels are non-renewable as they take millions of years to form. Secondly, burning fossil fuels significantly harms the environment. Unless countries turn their reliance on more renewable resources, the supply of fossil fuels will be exhausted.

Reducing the use of fossil fuels is the primary short-term goal. Noticeably, most of the commonly used products are made from fossil fuels. As such, there are multiple ways I can employ to accomplish this goal. Vehicles act as my primary form of transportation. In an attempt to reduce consumption, I use a bicycle to get to nearby places. Also, I will mostly reuse products that require fossil fuel to produce. By reducing the purchase of plastic shopping bags, I will reduce the demand for their production. I will opt for fabric bags instead of plastic ones. I will reuse plastic containers to store food. In the past, I have been throwing away plastic containers. Though small, these measures will have significant in the overall conservation of fossil fuels.

Notably, the short-term goals were simple as well as realistic, and thus attainable. Success was mainly noted in the conservation of water, electricity, and fossil fuels. This is because they are the resources that I mostly use. For this reason, there were multiple ways of reducing wastage. I noticed an immediate decrease in the consumption of water and electricity. A significant challenge was observed in the conservation of soil. Since I hardly use soil on a large scale, I was limited in the ways I could conserve it. Nevertheless, mulching emerged as an effective strategy of not only conserving soil, but also water.

Long-term Goals

Renewable Resources

Due to the excessive consumption of natural resources, it is essential to implement long-term goals that will aid in their conservation. Concerning wood usage, the immediate objective is increasing tree coverage. It entails tree planting and maintenance. Even though I can personally plant the trees, the overall attainment of this objective is mostly influenced by other people. Educating property owners on the ways to care and maintain trees is vital. I will obtain information from professional foresters and planners, which I will provide to property owners. It will be a voluntary initiative.

As stated, cooling consumes the largest share of electricity. Therefore, reducing cooling usage is the key long-term goal. This objective can be achieved through two approaches. The first strategy is to weatherize the house, which involves sealing air leaks. I noticed that there exist several air leaks, particularly windows, vents, light fixtures, and doors. Even though I can use weather stripping and caulking, proper sealing of all air leaks is quite expensive and time-consuming. Nevertheless, this technique is a great way to reduce cooling and heating expenses.

The second measure is to insulate the home. The level of insulation to be mainly installed depends on the location of the house. Remarkably, there exist numerous tools to help identify the specifications of the house. Insulation can help reduce energy consumption drastically. This is because it helps preserve heat in winter, and at the same time, avert heat from entering in summer. Though expensive, it turns out to be cheap in the long run.

Due to the steady supply of water, most people do not consider water harvesting essential. Markedly, many houses have lack the rain gutters. For this reason, the long-term goal, in this case, is to install the rain gutters. Even though water is a renewable source, accessing freshwater has emerged as a severe problem. As such, harvesting rainwater will reduce the demand for groundwater. Even if drilling wells is not expensive, it poses fundamental threats to the environment. Besides reducing demand on freshwater, harvesting rainwater lowers water bills and prevents flooding as well as erosion.

Non-Renewable Resources

There is an urgent need to conserve soil because of the increasing food shortage. The global food crisis has been attributed to rapid increase population (Bourne, 2009). To feed the world, there is a need to improve agricultural productivity, which primarily relies on the soil. The importance of soil conservation is, therefore, indispensable. My long-term goal, in this case, is to reduce soil erosion. Though there are numerous ways to achieve this objective, I will employ tree planting. Compared to other methods, it is one of the cheapest and easiest. Indeed, by reducing soil conservation, food productivity will be enhanced.

Vehicles being my primary mode of transport, I feel that I have directly contributed to the overconsumption of fossil fuels, which I intend to minimize. The main disadvantage of overconsumption of fossil fuels is that it results in severe damage to the environment, and it may lead to exhaustion of the resource. Purchasing an electric vehicle is thus one of my long-term goals regarding the future usage of resources. Unlike fuel-powered cars, electric cars are cheaper to run as well as maintain. At the same time, these cars use renewable energy such as wind or solar, have less pollution, and are built with eco-friendly materials. By using an electric vehicle, I will be upholding sustainable development.

Personal Reflection

Undoubtedly, the assignment has significantly changed the way I perceive natural resources. I heartily concur that my past approach to resources has been wrong. As long as I am paying for natural resources that I use, I felt that I was in no way leading to the exhaustion of non-renewable resources. Also, I thought that I was not responsible for any wastage, because I paid the bills, and that it did not affect anybody else. However, by undertaking the assignment, my view has been altered completely. Through the assignment, I have realized the importance of conserving natural resources as a way of promoting sustainable development. Even though I knew fossil fuels pollute the environment, I did not recognize that their exhaustion can pose a major threat to future generations. Currently, I am avoiding the use of vehicles and opting to use a bicycle as a way of conserving the resource. In the future, I plan to use electric cars, which rely on renewable energy.

Since I have not been cutting down trees, I felt that I did not contribute to deforestation. However, through the assignment, I have learnt that I play a significant part in deforestation, though indirectly. This is particularly through paper wastage. Markedly, paper manufacturing is one of the leading causes of tree cutting. As such, I have become conscious of my usage of wood-related products. Additionally, through the assignment, I have learnt the various techniques I can adopt to reduce the consumption of natural resources. By implementing the mentioned short-term goals, I drastically reduced water and electricity bills. Noticeably, no aspect of my household turned out to be complex because of adopting these strategies.

The assignment provided me with valuable insights about public wastage of natural resources, which I did not recognize. The public, family, and friends all abused natural resources though unknowingly. Most people feel that they are not responsible for the exhaustion or pollution of the environment. People have led to over-exploitation of natural resources by increasing their demand. Decreased consumption will directly reduce the exploitation of natural resources.

Undeniably, my behavior towards the conservation of resources largely influenced members of my household. Initially, they did not expect any change and thus were resistant to take my behavior. However, after two weeks, we noticed a drastic fall in water and electricity bills. Immediately, the members adopted the resource-conserving routine. Besides saving on key household resources like water and electricity, members demonstrated commitment towards the conservation of various natural resources.

In summary, natural resources form an integral part of human and animal survival. Regardless, there has been overconsumption of natural resources, which poses a significant threat to future generations. Some of the major resources that I use are timber, electricity, water, soil, and fossil fuels. Goals aimed at reducing consumption of these resources include reducing paper wastage, tree planting, harvesting rainwater, insulating and weathering houses, as well as using electric vehicles. Indeed, the assignment provided me with vital knowledge regarding the abuse and conservation of resources.

References

Bourne, J. (2009). The global food crisis. National Geographic. Retrieved 20 March 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2009/06/cheap-food/

Chiras, D., & Reganold, J. (2010). Natural Resource Conservation: Management for a Sustainable Future (10th ed.). San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings.

Crotta, C. (2015). 11 ways to save water at home. Forbes. Retrieved 20 March 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2015/03/31/11-ways-to-save-water-at- home/#7591408d166c

Cullinan, C. (2008). If nature had rights. Orion Magazine. Retrieved 20 March 2020, from https://orionmagazine.org/article/if-nature-had-rights/

Hardin, G. (1968). The tragedy of the commons. Science, 162(3859), 1243-1248. doi: 10.1126/science.162.3859.1243

Hydroelectric power water use. USGS. Retrieved 20 March 2020, from https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/hydroelectric-power- water-use?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

Letmathe, P. (2015). 5 risks from water overuse. World Economic Forum. Retrieved 20 March 2020, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/01/5-risks-from-water-overuse/

Pulp and paper. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/pulp-and-paper

Top 5 Steps to reduce your energy consumption. Harvard University. Retrieved 20 March 2020, from https://green.harvard.edu/tools-resources/poster/top-5-steps-reduce-your- energy-consumption