Consumption, resources, and the environment: What you need to know.

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Hey everyone,

In my bio-renewable resources class, I have learned a lot about the resources we use on a day to day basis, and how these resources affect the bigger picture of our world, the environments in it, and how these environment sustain themselves.

When we think about natural resources, a lot of the discussion revolves around "running out." One thing that I have learned is that this term can be very misleading when we are talking about resources consumption. When talking about extraction of ores for example, our current technology may only allow use to mine to a certain depth for say copper, without the cost exceeding the reward. This however does not mean that we are running out of copper, just that new technology may be required to obtain more. (Lesson 2)

Lesson 2 Our Resources, Our Consumption, BBE 1002, UMN

This mining, however, is growing more and more controversial. Every year we see different news stories where a mine has polluted a water source, cause massive deforestation, or disrupted local ecosystems. This is not all that there is to be concerned about however. These mines also produce a large amount of carbon waste into the atmosphere, and while copper mines only account of .2% of copper emissions (Chalasani et al.), I realized in this class that these small numbers can make a world of a difference. 

Now we all have heard about carbon emissions, and the harm they cause but why is it that these are so dangerous? well, the Earth naturally cycles carbon between the air, oceans, plants, and rocks. However, humans are adding more carbon than the system can handle, which is around 9 billion tons every year (Lesson 4). All of this carbon can be referred to as one of many greenhouse gases, and is a main cause of global warming.

You’ve probably heard about the “greenhouse effect.” Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane make up a thin layer in our atmosphere (Lesson 5). When we get energy from the sun, the Earth then has to give the same amount of energy back to space or the world would slowly get hotter. This is where an abundance of greenhouse gasses can be problematic. Green house gasses disrupt the Earth ability to release energy into space, instead trapping it in the atmosphere, cause the planet to slowly warm. Currently, the planet is about 1.4 degrees F warmer than it was in the 1800s (NASA). That might not sound like much, but rising temperatures aren't the only thing to look out for with the changes we're seeing. stronger, more frequent, hurricanes, and the rising of sea levels are just two examples. 

https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/the-greenhouse-effect

                    

1.4 degrees isn't a crazy amount, so why is everyone getting all worked up? Why does this matter to us? Well if there were two thing to take away from this post, the first would be the impact of the individual. It is easy to take a look at large manufacturing plants, and corporations and place the blame on them for the worlds problems, but the reality is most of the harm being done to our planet is by the individuals, by you and me. Just as the many little harms that each person does to the world adds up very quickly, so can the many little improvements. So yes, while that one light in the kitchen may not be killing the planet, its assisting in it, so choose the source, and magnitude of your consumption wisely, and maybe, just maybe, it'll make a world of a difference. 

 

Works Cited

Lesson 2 Our Resources, Our Consumption, BBE 1002, UMN

Lesson 4 Carbon Cycle, BBE 1002, UMN

Lesson 5 Climate Change, BBE 1002, UMN

Chalasani, Sravan, et al. Decarbonizing the Copper Sector: Discussion Topics and Considerations for a 1.5°C-aligned Trajectory and Target-setting Methodology. The Copper Mark Company, 2024, coppermark.org/wpcontent/uploads/2024/05/CopperMark_DecarbonizingTheCopperSector_2024.04.18.pdf.

“Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” NASA, 2025, climate.nasa.gov/.





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