Natural Resources
Can you think of an example of a natural resource? Take a look around your classroom – everything has to come from somewhere, and that “somewhere” is the natural environment we live in here on planet Earth. We gather some natural resources on Earth’s surface, such as trees, different kinds of fibers for cloth, and many kinds of food. And we dig deep down to find others. Metals, fossil fuels and often our drinking water comes from inside Earth. Natural resources are used to create energy, to make clothes, to feed us, to build houses and to create today’s complex machines!
Over thousands of years people have invented ways to take natural resources and turn them into amazing, useful products. Your pencil is made from a number of natural resources. So is this Greentimes JR! We’re going to show you where a few materials come from and what we use them for today. But keep your eyes open… everything you see began as a natural resource.
-- Araña Pequeña
Fossil Fuels: Oil
By Angel Ruiz
Ever wondered what a fossil fuel is? Oil is one example
of a fossil fuel. Oil is made from the remains of decayed (dead) plants and
animals that died millions and millions of years ago. How do dead plants and
animals turn into oil? Good question! A very long time ago, when those very small
plants and animals died, they sank to the bottoms of oceans and swamps. Lots and
lots of sand, clay and silt (sediment) settled over them. Over time, a great deal of
sediment piled up on the decayed plants and animals. This weight caused a
lot of pressure to build up on the bottom layer of decayed matter and it became very hot.
The sediments formed into sedimentary rocks and the decayed plants and animals
turned into a dark, heavy liquid we call oil.
The oil that we get directly from the ground is called crude oil, and has to be refined, or processed and cleaned, before we use it. One product we get from refining oil is gasoline. People all over the world use gasoline to fuel their cars. It also powers airplanes, trucks, boats, and factory machinery. But we use oil to make many, many other things. We need oil to make everything from plastic to some medicines!
When we use oil it can pollute the environment. This can happen in the water, on land and in the air. Sometimes boats carrying oil get in accidents and spill oil into the water. These oil spills can kill plants and animals in the ocean. Also, when people pump gasoline for their cars some of the gasoline can drip onto the ground, and can later be washed into rivers when it rains. When oil is burned, it releases bad toxins into the air that we breathe. Oil provides us with a lot of energy, but it can also be dangerous for humans and the environment. It’s a reason we need to be careful of when we use it!
What Do Oxygen, Rubber and Fruit Have in Common?
By Wilhemina Agbemakplido
Trees are very important to our existence on Earth. They produce oxygen that we need to live. We also depend on trees for the food that they produce. For example, those sweet apples, peaches and pears that you enjoy with your lunch all come from a tree! They also provide shade for us on hot, sunny days.
We make many things from trees too. The paper that you are reading right now was made out of a tree. We also use trees to build houses. Have you ever thought about what your kitchen table is made out of? We often make furniture, such as desks and tables, out of wood. We even get rubber from certain types of trees! You can find rubber in rubber gloves or rubber bands. Before we had electricity, and even in some places today, people have to depend on wood as fuel for their fires to keep warm during the cold winters.
We use trees for many different purposes. They clean our air and provide us with oxygen, they provide nice scenery for us to look at, they supply fruits to eat and are used for fuel in fires. Trees are very important!