Pdf.De Los Plasticos

Natural resources
1 Types of natural resources
A natural resource is any material, organism or form of energy which we obtain from nature in order to use it or alter it, whether to satisfy our basic needs or improve our quality of life. They can be non-renewable or renewable resources.

1.1 Non-renewable resources
Non-renewable resources are consumed more quickly than they can beregenerated. There are two types of non-renewable resources: • Non-renewable resources not used as an energy source. They consist of resources used as raw materials. For example, metals are obtained from minerals and construction materials are obtained from rocks. • Non-renewable resources used as an energy resource. For example, fossil fuels (coal, crude oil and natural gas) and radioactive minerals(uranium and plutonium).

1.2 Renewable resources
Renewable resources are those which after being consumed are regenerated naturally. These resources are classified as: • Renewable resources not used as an energy source. They are used to obtain materials (for example, animals), a utility (for example, water to wash) or a benefit (for example, landscapes). • Renewable resources used as an energysource. For example, solar energy, wind energy, the movement o f water, energy from biomass, etc.

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Exploitation of resources

The increase in the world´s population and consumer lifestyle puts a greater demand on resources and affects the environment in the following ways: * Pollution of air, water, soil, etc. * Accumulation of waste in the environment. * Depletion of resources due tooverexploitation.

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Sources of energy
In the modern world we use huge quantities of energy every day for lighting, heating, transport, industry and many other things. We obtain this energy from different natural resources called energy sources. Obtaining and consuming energy can have a very harmful effect on life on Earth. The damage caused varies a great deal depending on whether we usenon-renewable or renewable energy sources.

1 The use of non-renewable energy
The main energy sources we use today are still fossil fuels and nuclear energy. They cause the following problems: • The release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. • The release of dangerous waste materials like those from nuclear power stations. • Thedepletion of the stores of natural combustibles on the planet.

2 The use of renewable energy
The use of renewable energy sources avoids the problems mentioned above. However, it leads to different kinds of environmental problems. For example, the huge generators used to generate wind energy and the enormous metallic structures used to support solar panels alter the landscape greatly.

3 Energysolutions
There are different ways to solve the problems caused by non-renewable sources: • Encouraging the use of renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind, energy, etc. • Using energy more efficiently means we use less of it. For example, insulating a house means using less heating and air conditioning to maintain a comfortable temperature. • Encouraging energy saving. For example: -Switch off the lights when you leave a room. - If you are not watching television or using a computer, turn them off. - At night, or when you are going away, switch the stand by light (small red light) off. - Use public transport as much as possible and walk short distances-it's also much better for your health.

Water is a fundamental resource
1 Use of water
Water is a fundamental resource forhuman beings and is used for many different things. They can be divided into two types: consumption and other uses. • Consumption. In domestic activities (washing, drinking, etc.), in industrial activities (refrigeration, cleaning of materials, etc.) and in farming (livestock, irrigation, etc.). • Other uses. As a means of transportation, for recreational use (fishing, swimming, water sports, etc.)...