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# What Are Natural Resources? All the components of the environment taken together are called the total stock. The total stock includes energy, living organisms (e.g., plants and animals), and non-living materials (e.g. water and minerals). Any part of the total stock that becomes useful to human b...

# What Are Natural Resources? All the components of the environment taken together are called the total stock. The total stock includes energy, living organisms (e.g., plants and animals), and non-living materials (e.g. water and minerals). Any part of the total stock that becomes useful to human beings is called a resource. A resource is something that is of value. For example, a book is a learning resource; in geography, natural resources are things found in the natural environment. A famous geographer, Erich Zimmermann, said "Resources are not, they become." This means that something in the environment is only considered a resource when people can find a use for it, and have the technology to exploit it. ## Flint as a Resource Let's explore this idea with flint. Flint is a mineral that occurs in chunks in certain kinds of sedimentary rocks (Figure 4-1). Flint first became valuable in the Stone Age because of its useful properties: 1. **Sharp Edges:** When struck by another hard object, flint splinters into smaller pieces with very sharp edges. Skilled people could shape these pieces into cutting tools, arrowheads, or spearheads. These stone tools were essential for survival before metal technologies existed. 2. **Sparks:** When a piece of flint is struck by steel, or another hard rock with high iron content, sparks are produced. These sparks can ignite tinder; a material that catches fire easily. This improvement over earlier methods that involved friction (like using a bow drill) allowed the creation of fire more easily and provided crucial heat and tools across cultures. Flint was also used in fire-arms, called "flintlocks," which were used for more than two centuries. **Figure 4-1:** This image shows a piece of flint that has been split open. The outside surface (along the right side) has a different colour than the inside, and sharp edges formed by breaking can be observed. **Note:** The image accompanying this text shows a piece of flint.