Natural Resources: Exhaustible and Inexhaustible

Basic Needs

• Food, shelter, clothing are basic needs.
• Some resources are man-made, others are natural.

Natural vs. Man-Made Resources

• Natural Resources: Air, soil, water, natural minerals.
• Man-Made Resources: buildings, computers, furniture.

Categories of Natural Resources

• Exhaustible: Limited and can be depleted (e.g., petroleum, forests).
• Inexhaustible: Unlimited and cannot be depleted (e.g., sunlight, air).

Examples and Activities

• Exhaustible Resources: Petroleum, coal, natural gas.
• Inexhaustible Resources: Sunlight, air.
• Group Activity: Demonstration involving popcorn, division into generations to show resource consumption over time.

Formation and Uses of Coal

• Formation: Coal forms from dead vegetation under high pressure and temperature over millions of years.
• Uses: Fuel for cooking, railway engines, thermal power plants for electricity, steel manufacturing.
• Byproducts: Coal tar, coal gas, coke.

Petroleum

• Formation: From marine organisms’ remains under high pressure and temperature and absence of air.
• Extraction Sites in India: Assam, Gujarat, Mumbai, etc.
• Petroleum Refining: Separating constituents via refining process. Products: LPG, petrol, diesel, lubricants, paraffin wax, bitumen.
• Petrochemicals: Derived from petroleum and used in making detergents, plastics, etc.
• Economic Importance: Called “Black Gold” due to its commercial value and wide uses.

Natural Gas

• Importance: Easy to transport via pipes and stored as CNG (Compressed Natural Gas).
• Uses: Power generation, fuel for vehicles (cleaner fuel), in homes and industries.
• Extraction Sites in India: Tripura, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Krishna-Godavari delta.

Conservation Tips

• Drive at constant, moderate speed.
• Switch off the engine at traffic lights and during waits.
• Ensure correct tire pressure and regular vehicle maintenance.

Conclusion

• Importance of conserving exhaustible resources.
• Impact of resource consumption on the environment and global warming.
• Need for wise usage of all resources to ensure availability for future generations.

Practical Advice

• Use of public transport and bicycles to reduce petroleum consumption.
• Follow guidelines to minimize fuel wastage during vehicle use.