Unit 2 Natural Resources Research Paper

One of the biggest issues accompanied with modern agriculture is land use. In the United States, for example, around 60 percent of land is used to grow produce and livestock. With such an extensive use of land

The state of Texas is the second largest state in the United States. Due to its location and size, it covers different geographical areas and climates. These areas support different ecosystems from deserts to coastal wetlands, with local wildlife varying with the environment. With such varied climates and yearly rainfall, it is easy to have crops growing in the east and little rainfall and an open rocky desert with cacti in the west. The geological history is also varied across the state leading to different mineral deposits by region. It is easy to see that Texas is a state with many unique areas that provide a wide variety of natural resources, native crops, and wildlife.

Throughout time, humans have pushed forward in every aspect in life in order to improve their living standards, wealth and most importantly the agricultural sector which is the base of every human race. Food is the basic requirement for any individual to stay alive and healthy. In an article by Tamsin McMahon, she states that over the past 60 years, the world population has grown from 2.5 billion to 7 billion while world hunger dropped from 40% down to 15% (McMahon T., July 2012). This shows that our agricultural advances through technology have helped control world hunger and decrease it by more than half, but this is a short-term solution if we want to consider the future generations that depend on our current actions toward the three main pillars of agriculture which are: Health and nutrition, Economy and sustainability all while considering the local small farms and corporate farms.

The development of high yield crops have saved huge areas of forests and other environmentally fragile lands that would otherwise have been needed for farming. For example, in Asia cereal production doubled between 1970 and 1975, yet the total land area cultivated with cereals increased by only 4 percent. The passing of laws like the Clean Water Act of 1972 that took steps to insure the increased use of fertilizers and pesticides would not end up in the waterways that so many people rely on for consumption and in the agriculture world of farming. The development of pest-resistant varieties has also helped in keeping pesticides and herbicides out of our waters. All of these advancements and legislation have championed a sustainable way to continue growth in economics and

The plantation was the center of the agriculture life. Large-scale agriculture is still important as many countries rely on these products as they put large strain on export –oriented growth. Only recently has there been any significant attempts at industrialization and many countries are economically backward.

In Saskatchewan mines, many resources are found but I chose to focus on Crude Oil and Uranium. Did you know that Saskatchewan has the largest uranium deposit in the world, or that Saskatchewan is the second largest oil manufacture in all the provinces of Canada?

Colorado is famous for being rich in natural resources. From the treasured gold and silver that helped incorporate the state into the Union, to the great Colorado River that provides millions of people throughout the west with water everyday. Yet, some of the most impactful contributors to the history and culture have been the resources of coal, oil, gas and as other "energy" supplies. These energy resources have provided jobs along with wealth in abundance across the state in classic boom and bust fashion. Colorado’s coal, oil and gas industries have also fueled controversial topics, including coke mining and hydraulic fracking. Today the switch to sustainable measures taking place in Colorado, such as solar and wind power, continue to shape history and culture. The steps provide constructive jobs, advocate for energy efficiency and produce a positive model to inspire as well as guide other states into a environmentally conscious world.

Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “A river is more than an amenity, it is a treasure,” and there are about 750 million peop6le who would support him on that statement. Is it fair that the people who do not have clean water to drink, or wash with everyday must use water that is contaminated with copper, lead, nickel and selenium? For an example, take Canada and India. Two very different countries, from opposite sides of the world. They barely have any similarities, especially when it comes to the amount of clean water, the purity of the water they do have, and how those countries work towards conserving this natural resource. Although both countries are amongst the top ten amount of renewable water available to their citizens, they highly differ when it comes to what they do with it.

Throughout the mid-19th century, many cities across America were becoming industrialized and growing in size. As a city develops and grows, the city uses resources such as food, water, raw products, and energy. All these resources are consumed within a city. The outcome of all this consumption is the production of waste (Tarr 15). In the mid-19th century, a massive migration of Americans and wave of migrants from different countries in Europe and other parts of the world begin to settle in urban settings across America. Many were seeking better job opportunities and better lives in American cities. As a result, industrial cities grew dramatically and became

This paper uses the terms natural resource(s), resource(s), and reserve(s) in many different contexts. Please use care when interpreting their usage and context.

Nutrition in the developed countries is not as much of a concern as it is for the developing countries such as Asia, Latin America and Africa. Looking back in time,

     Agriculture has changed dramatically, especially since the end of World War II. Food and fibre productivity rose due to new technologies, mechanization, increased chemical use, specialization and government policies that favoured maximizing production. These changes allowed fewer farmers with reduced labour demands to produce the majority of the food and fibre.

Rural areas play a role in accommodating and managing waste from urban areas because in rural areas the space is enough unlike in urban areas where there is limited space, high rents, or environmental conflicts Kubische (2007). The waste in urban areas flows to rural areas and is a worldwide phenomenon. Water pollution, loss and degradation of farmland through urban expansion, soil erosion, threats to forests, coastlines, and marine ecosystems from disposal toxic wastes air pollution and acid rain from urban industries, power generation, and motor vehicles, are among the long list flow that position many rural areas as dumping grounds for urban

More ecosystem services have been influenced due to the conversion of land for settlement, agriculture, industrialization and other

Food is the foundation of human live and people cannot survive without it. Food security is a vital issue facing the governments around the world. However, food shortage is becoming increasingly severe in this day and age. There are several reasons which led to the universal food shortage and they are interconnected to each other. Increasing world population, extreme weather and the wide spread use of biofuels are the main causes of worldwide shortage of food. These factors lead to food price rises rapidly.