Hurumanu 1 | ESSAY Writing | Depletion of Natural Resources |

For the past few weeks on Hurumanu 1, we have been writing an 'essay' about a topic of our own choosing. I chose to do my essay about the 'depletion of our natural resources', in my essay I wrote the story by starting on an introduction to explain the problem and give a detailed explanation of what is happening. Then wrote paragraphs for the; cause, impact, solution and the conclusion. I mostly did the paragraphs at my home, since I found it easier to focus and get the work done. Nevertheless, in the end, I managed to finish the work on time and in the best of my capability and I am proud of the work I have set. Anyways, my writing covers the depletion of the natural resources and what has caused this problem and the impacts it has done.

Depletion of Natural Resources:

Our natural resources are an essential part of our lives, without them, we would be struggling to survive. We are dependent on these resources to help us live and make our lives easier. Natural resources provide us with food, fuel and other raw materials for the production of goods. The food that we consume comes from plants and animals, which are natural resources. Similarly, other natural resources such as natural gas provide us with heat, light, as well as power. Today, the depletion of natural resources, when the resources are consumed, at a faster rate than that of renewal, which is happening today. So we must act fast to save our resources.

The problem of using too many resources without thought will cause our planet to be impotent to keep up with our ever heightened demands. Interestingly, the cause of depletion of our natural resources is caused by; overpopulation, overconsumption and waste, deforestation and destruction of ecosystems. Also, mining minerals and oil, technological and industrial development, erosions, pollution and contamination of resources. With the 7 billion people on the planet, the demand on the Earth’s resources will continue to increase. As the current global population of 7.2 billion and the way that we are living, we are using about 2 or 3 times more of the Earth’s resources than what is sustainable. If we do not do anything about this problem, we will see the aftermath of the depletion of our natural resources.

The three foremost depleting natural resources are water, oil, and forests. If our water resources are in decline, what will we drink instead of water? We see water everywhere because our planet is 70% water and 30% land. However, only 2.5% of that 70% is freshwater; the rest is salt water which is not useful for us humans. Nevertheless, that small percentage of freshwater is usually in the structure of ice or permanent snow cover. The depletion of water is more consequential than the current reduction of oil there, are other alternatives for oil yet, nothing can replace our drinking water. The causes of our ongoing water depletion are; Increased irrigation, increased use in agriculture, roads and infrastructure prevent water seepage in the soil and last of all rising temperature. The consequences of this are drinking water shortage, food shortage, and famine. 

There is nothing that can be moved, manufactured, transported, built, planted, mined, or harvested without the liquid fuels that we acquire from petroleum. Oil reserves around the world are a non-renewable resource. Globally, we use an approximate amount of over 11 billion tonnes of oil from fossil fuels every year. Crude oil reserves disappear at a rate of more than 4 billion tonnes a year, so if we carry on as we are our oil deposits could run out in just over 53 years. The cause of this depletion is industrial bloom, increase in population, and wastage. The consequences of this, however, are less transportation, smaller economies, and higher prices.  

Now picture a world without trees. We would not be capable of surviving because the air would be unsuitable for breathing. Consequently, the absence of trees would occur in significantly higher amounts of carbon dioxide in the air and lower amounts of oxygen. An estimated 18 million acres of forests are destroyed, each year and half of the world’s forests have been cleared. This is a crucial problem because our trees absorb greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide, and produce oxygen for us to breathe. Forests are also critical for millions of species. Now the cause of this is; Urbanization, Illegal logging, Agriculture, Subsistence Farming. The consequences are; Soil erosion, Global Warming caused by the rise of greenhouse gases- Extinction of species and loss of biodiversity, flooding and drought.

There are numerous things an individual can do to offer to help suppress the depletion of natural resources. If every person committed to the preservation of our natural resources and reducing their CO2 emissions footprint, we can make a tremendous difference. We can plant more trees, conserve energy, put a stop on polluting the ocean, save trees by going paperless or by using only recycled products, cycle, walk or use public transportation whenever possible, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by buying energy-efficient appliances. By doing this, we can suppress the speed of the depletion of our natural resources.  

In conclusion, we must all act fast to try and stop the depletion of our natural resources. Essentially, these resources are a fundamental part of our lives since they are the primary materials that help us live. Without these materials, us humans and animals would starve and suffocate due to the high amounts of Co2 in the atmosphere. We must act now to save our planet!

Natural Depletion of Resources (Key Points) 

• Ocean acidification 
• Population shifts of plants and animals
• Arctic Ice melting
• Fossil Fuels
• Deforestation
• Permafrost
• Fire
• The 3 Rs
• Food waste
• Water waste
• Resources list
• Food shortage
• Dying plants

Natural Depletion of Resources:

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-depletion-natural-resources.php

https://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/consequences_of_depletion_of_natural_resources

https://www.econation.co.nz/resource-depletion/

https://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/consequences_

What A Waste - Book

Global Warming - Book

Our Environment Climate Change and Global Warming - Book