Natural Resources and Hazards

• A natural resource is anything found in nature usable by humans.
• Natural resources exist in two forms: renewable and nonrenewable.
• Renewable resources can be replaced in a human lifetime, whereas nonrenewable resources cannot.
• Renewable resources' distribution varies across the Earth.
• Areas with higher wind activity can generate wind energy more efficiently.
• Nonrenewable resources are also unevenly distributed.
• The distribution of nonrenewable resources stems from geologic processes.
• Building a dam can increase fresh water in one region while decreasing in another.

Natural Hazards

• A natural hazard constitutes any natural event posing a risk to humans or the environment.
• Tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions are examples of natural hazards.
• Hurricanes typically get forecasted days in advance using satellites and technology.
• Earthquakes occur suddenly and without warning.
• Increased knowledge of natural hazards helps make better predictions and allows communities to be more prepared for future hazards.

Human Impact on the Environment

• Human activities impact the environment through land and water use, deforestation, and burning fossil fuels.
• Clearing forests causes habitat loss and puts other species at risk.
• Negative human impacts escalate with population growth.
• Increased natural resource use per person also increases negative human impacts.
• Science helps identify solutions to reduce our impacts on the environment.

Climate Change

• Earth’s average temperature is rising, causing long-term shifts in global weather patterns, leading to climate change.
• Greenhouse gas emissions primarily cause climate change.
• A greenhouse gas traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere.
• Human activities have added too much greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere.