natural resource conservation

third component of sustainability:solutions

While environmental scientists search for solutions to problems such as the unsustainable use of forests and other forms of natural capital, their work is limited to finding the scientific solutions. The political solutions are left to political processes. A scientific solution to the problem of pollution of rivers might be to prevent the dumping of chemicals and wastes into streams and allow them to recover naturally.But to implement such solutions, governments would probably have to enact and enforce environmental laws and regulations.

is anything that we can obtain from the environment to meet our needs and wants. Some resources such as solar energy, fertile topsoil, and edible wild plants are directly available for use. Other resources such as petroleum, iron, underground water, and cultivated crops become useful to us only with some effort and technological ingenuity

a resource

more-developed countries are those with high average income and they include the United States, Canada, The United Nations (UN) classifies the world's countries as economically more developed or less developed, based primarily on their average income per person

All other nations, in which 81% of the world's people live, are classified as less-developed countries, most of them in Africa

trade-offs,

Dealing with such conflicts often involves making , or compromises—another component of sustainability

- are materials and energy in nature that are essential or useful to humans. They are often classified as (such as air, water, soil, plants, and wind) or - (such as copper, oil, and coal).

Natural resources(renewable resources) nonrenewable resources

are processes in nature, such as purification of air and water and renewal of topsoil, which support life and human economies

Natural services

has been dealing with significant changes in environmental conditions that affect the planet for at least 3.5 billion years

Nature

The highest rate at which we can use a renew-able resource indefinitely without reducing its available supply is called its sustainable yield.

Nonrenewable resources are resources that exist in a fixed quantity, or stock, in the earth's crust. energy resources (such as coal and oil),

an important component of which is topsoil, the upper layer of any soil in which plants can grow. It provides the nutrients that support plants, animals, and microorganisms living on land. Without nutrient cycling in topsoil, life as we know it could not exist. Natural capital is supported by energy from the sun—another of the principles of sustainability

One vital natural service is nutrient cycling Without solar energy, natural capital and the life it supports would collapse. Thus, our lives and economies depend on energy from the sun, and on natural resources and natural services (natural capital) provided by the earth

Reuse involves using a resource over and over in the same form But we cannot recycle energy resources such as oil and coal. Once burned, their concentrated energy is no longer available to us. Reuse and recycling are two ways to live more sustainably

Recycling involves collecting waste materials and processing them into new materials

Three principles of sustainability

Reliance on solar energy: Biodiversity Chemical cycling: nutrient cycling

Recycling nonrenewable metallic resources uses much less energy, water, and other resources and produces much less pollution and environmental degradation than exploiting virgin metallic resources.

Reusing such resources requires even less energy, water, and other resources and produces less pollution and environmental degradation than recycling does.

A resource that takes anywhere from several days to several hundred years to be replenished through natural processes is a renewable resource, as long as we do not use it up faster than nature can renew it. Examples include forests, grass

Solar energy is called a perpetual resource because its supply is continuous and is expected to last at least 6 billion years, while the sun completes its life cycle.

Reliance on solar energy

The sun warms the planet and supports photosynthesis—a complex chemical process used by plants to provide the nutrients, or chemicals that most organisms need in order to stay alive and reproduce. Without the sun, there would be no plants, no animals, and no food. The sun also powers indirect forms of solar energy such as wind and flowing water, which we can use to produce electricity

Biodiversity

This refers to the astounding variety of organisms, the natural systems in which they exist and interact and the natural services that these organisms and living systems provide free of charge (such as renewal of topsoil, pest control, and air and water purification). also provides countless ways for life to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Without it, most life would have been wiped out long ago.

Chemical cycling: Also referred to as nutrient cycling,

circulation of chemicals from the environment (mostly from soil and water) through organisms and back to the environment is necessary for life. Natural processes keep this cycle going, and the earth receives no new supplies of these chemicals. Thus, for life to sustain itself, these nutrients must be cycled in this way, indefinitely. Without chemical cycling, there would be no air, no water, no soil, no food, and no life

A key component of environmental science is , the biological science that studies how , or living things, interact with one another and with their environment

ecology organisms

is a set of organisms within a defined area or volume that interact with one another and with and their environment of nonliving matter and energy

ecosystem

is everything around us,

environment

an interdisciplinary study of how humans interact with the living and nonliving parts of their environment.

environmental science,

a social movement dedicated to protecting the earth's life-support systems for all forms of life. and practiced more in the political and ethical arenas than in the realm of science

environmentalism

capital natural capital

refers to money and other forms of wealth that can support a person, a population, or an economy. It can provide a sustainable income if we use it properly—that is, if we do not spend it too quickly. If we protect capital by careful investment and spending, it can last indefinitely. Similarly, can support the earth's diversity of species as long as we use its natural resources and services in a sustainable fashion.

is to recognize that many human activities can degrade natural capital by using normally renewable resources faster than nature can restore them, and by overloading natural systems with pollution and wastes

second component of sustainability—

Our research leads us to believe that in the face of drastic environmental changes, there are three overarching themes relating to the long-term sustainability of life on this planet:

solar energy, biodiversity, and chemical cycling

a group of organisms that have a unique set of characteristics that distinguish them from all other organisms and, for organisms that reproduce sexually, can mate and produce fertile offspring

species

natural capital

the natural resources and natural services that keep us and other forms of life alive and support our human economies