Resources are the raw materials that we use to live, to build and heat our homes, grow our food and manufacture our goods. We extract these raw materials from nature and process them in various ways for our use. Oil, water and energy are some of our most important resources but they are increasingly becoming scarce and therefore the cause of conflict for nations desperate to secure their share.
One resource over which much conflict arises is oil. Oil is very important because it is one of the most common sources of energy. In different forms, it powers our cars, trucks and airplanes, heats our homes, provides electricity, and is used to make materials like plastic. Unfortunately, oil is not a renewable resource. This means that the oil we use up can't be replaced. In... (more)
Resources are the raw materials that we use to live, to build and heat our homes, grow our food and manufacture our goods. We extract these raw materials from nature and process them in various ways for our use. Oil, water and energy are some of our most important resources but they are increasingly becoming scarce and therefore the cause of conflict for nations desperate to secure their share.
One resource over which much conflict arises is oil. Oil is very important because it is one of the most common sources of energy. In different forms, it powers our cars, trucks and airplanes, heats our homes, provides electricity, and is used to make materials like plastic. Unfortunately, oil is not a renewable resource. This means that the oil we use up can't be replaced. In addition, extracting oil and refining it for use is damaging to the environment. Alternate sources of renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, are becoming more popular, but oil is, unfortunately, a much easier and, for now, cheaper method of generating electricity and fueling vehicles.
Every living thing needs water to survive, but all over the world we are using our water supply faster than we can replace it. While the earth’s surface is 70-75% water, less than five percent of that water is drinkable, and 1% or less is easily accessible. This drinkable water is not distributed equally around the earth, which means that some places have what seems to be a lot of safe water, while others have none at all. It takes a very short time to contaminate our water supply, and a very long time to make it safe again. Water resources can disappear when there is a large population, like a city, suburb, or refugee camp in a place that does not have the resources to support a large population. Other times, the water supply for one area is diverted to another through dams or the construction of canals or aqueducts. This often has disastrous results for both humans and animals living in those areas.
Climate change also affects our water supply. With all forms of resources, conflict arises when an area with fewer resources wants the resources of another area, without being willing to trade fairly for them. Resource conflicts can take place over resources we need to live, like water, or resources we don’t, like diamonds, but the effects on the human population are just as destructive. Sometimes rich countries place economic sanctions on poor countries in order to force them into allowing foreign interests to exploit their resources. In very bad situations, wars break out for control over oil fields, diamond mines, and in the future, maybe even water. If you want to learn more about how we can conserve our valuable resources, please see the Sustainable Development section, or read the Agriculture section to learn more about the ethanol problem. (
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