C14.1 - Finite and renewable resources Flashcards
What do we all rely on?
We all rely on the Earth’s natural resources
Why do we all rely on the Earth’s natural resources?
We all rely on the Earth’s natural resources to live
We all rely on the Earth’s natural resources to live.
What are they used to do?
We all rely on the Earth’s natural resources to live
They are used to make homes to live in, provide food, for the energy needed to cook, stay warm and fuel transport
What has humankind found?
Humankind has found ever more ways to make use of the natural resources
Where has humankind found ever more ways to make use of the natural resources?
Humankind has found ever more ways to make use of the natural resources in the Earth’s crust, oceans, rivers, lakes and atmosphere
What have people always used?
People have always used natural products
Where have people always used natural products?
People have always used natural products, gathered from their environment
People have always used natural products, gathered from their environment.
What has increased the supply of these products?
People have always used natural products, gathered from their environment
The farming of plants and animals has increased the supply of these products
People have always used natural products, gathered from their environment.
The farming of plants and animals has increased the supply of these products.
Not only that, what have chemists developed?
People have always used natural products, gathered from their environment
The farming of plants and animals has increased the supply of these products
Not only that, but chemists have developed synthetic alternatives to these natural products
How can you classify natural resources?
You can classify natural resources as:
1. Finite
Or,
2. Renewable
Finite resources
Finite resources are those that are being used up at a faster rate than they can be replaced
Finite resources are those that are being used up at a faster rate than they can be replaced.
So what will happen if we carry on using these resources at current rates?
Finite resources are those that are being used up at a faster rate than they can be replaced
So, if we carry on using these resources at current rates, finite resources will eventually run out
Examples of finite resources
Examples of finite resources are fossil fuels - coal, crude oil and natural gas
Renewable resources
Renewable resources are those that can be replaced at the same rate at which they are used up
Examples of renewable resources
Examples of renewable resources are the crops used to make biofuels
What is the natural resource of wool used for?
The natural resource of wool is used for:
- Clothes
- Carpets
The natural resource of wool is used for clothes and carpets.
What are the alternative synthetic products?
The natural resource of wool is used for clothes and carpets
The alternative synthetic products are:
1. Acrylic fibre (polyacrylonitrile)
2. Poly(propene)
What is the natural resource of cotton used for?
The natural resource of cotton is used for:
- Clothes
- Textiles
The natural resource of cotton is used for clothes and textiles.
What is the alternative synthetic product?
The natural resource of cotton is used for clothes and textiles
The alternative synthetic product is polyester
What is the natural resource of silk used for?
The natural resource of silk is used for clothes
The natural resource of silk is used for clothes.
What is the alternative synthetic product?
The natural resource of silk is used for clothes.
The alternative synthetic product is nylon
What is the natural resource of linseed oil used for?
The natural resource of linseed oil is used for paint
The natural resource of linseed oil is used for paint.
What is the alternative synthetic product?
The natural resource of linseed oil is used for paint.
The alternative synthetic product is acrylic resin
What is the natural resource of rubber used for?
The natural resource of rubber is used for:
- Tyres
- Washers
The natural resource of rubber is used for tyres and washers.
What are the alternative synthetic products?
The natural resource of rubber is used for tyres and washers
The alternative synthetic products are various synthetic polymers, such as poly(butadiene)
What is the natural resource of wood used for?
The natural resource of wood is used for construction
The natural resource of wood is used for construction.
What are the alternative synthetic products?
The natural resource of wood is used for construction
The alternative synthetic products are:
1. PVC
2. Composites (MDF)
What does the chemical industry use natural resources as?
The chemical industry uses natural resources as the raw materials to make new products
The chemical industry uses natural resources as the raw materials to make new products.
What are metal ores used to do?
The chemical industry uses natural resources as the raw materials to make new products
Metal ores are used to extract metals
The chemical industry uses natural resources as the raw materials to make new products.
What is crude oil used to do?
The chemical industry uses natural resources as the raw materials to make new products
Crude oil is used to make:
1. Polymers
2. Petrochemicals
The chemical industry uses natural resources as the raw materials to make new products.
What is limestone used to make?
The chemical industry uses natural resources as the raw materials to make new products
Limestone is used to make:
1. Cement
2. Concrete
The chemical industry uses natural resources as the raw materials to make new products.
What does crude oil make?
The chemical industry uses natural resources as the raw materials to make new products
Crude oil to make the petrol, diesel and kerosene that we use for transport
What is brown bauxite?
Brown bauxite is the finite resource from which we extract aluminium metal
What happens depending on assumptions made about finite resources?
Depending on the assumptions made, estimates of how long the finite resources will last differ by orders of magnitude
Depending on the assumptions made, estimates of how long the finite resources will last differ by orders of magnitude.
What are there many?
Depending on the assumptions made, estimates of how long the finite resources will last differ by orders of magnitude
There are many uncertainties
Depending on the assumptions made, estimates of how long the finite resources will last differ by orders of magnitude.
There are many uncertainties.
Examples
Depending on the assumptions made, estimates of how long the finite resources will last differ by orders of magnitude
There are many uncertainties
Examples:
1. What will be the future rate of use?
2. How accurately do we know the amounts of finite resources on the Earth?
3. Will new sources be discovered?
Data in the form of bar charts show estimations of the percentage of finite reserves likely to be left in 2036 compared with estimates of 2011, if we assume that we continue to use them at current rates, or that our rate of use increases at current rates of acceleration.
Why may predictions like these not be valid?
Predictions like these may not be valid, because neither prediction builds in the effect of recycling resources, which is likely to be significant in the future
Wherever possible, where are industries moving towards?
Wherever possible, industries are moving towards renewable resources
Why are industries moving towards renewable resources wherever possible?
Wherever possible, industries are moving towards renewable resources to conserve finite resources and to improve sustainability
How can we think of sustainability?
We can think of sustainability as developments that meet the needs of society now, without endangering the ability of future generations to meet their needs
We can think of sustainability as developments that meet the needs of society now, without endangering the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
An example of this
An example of sustainability is:
In the plastics industry, many of the polymers produced use ethene made from crude oil as a starting material.
However, ethene can also be made from ethanol and ethanol can be made by fermenting glucose from sugar cane or sugar beet, so using a renewable crop as the raw material for ethene makes plastics such as poly(ethene) more sustainable than ones using up finite supplies of crude oil
We can think of sustainability as developments that meet the needs of society now, without endangering the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
An example of this other than using ethanol to make ethene rather than crude oil.
An example of sustainability other than using ethanol to make ethene rather than crude oil is:
The use of wood chips instead of fossil fuels to fuel power stations, linked to a programme of planting new trees
