Lesson -1
S.SC NATURAL RESOURSES AND THEIR USES
1. What can make what is today a renewable resource non-renewable tomorrow? Describe some actions that can prevent this from happening.
Ans-1. Renewable to non-renewable*
- Cause: Over-exploitation, pollution, deforestation. Using faster than nature can regenerate.
example- If we cut trees, pump groundwater, or fish faster than they grow back, even renewable things get exhausted. Pollution also destroys them
- Prevention: Sustainable harvesting, afforestation, pollution control, strict quotas.
Like- Rules on usage limits, planting new trees, cleaning rivers, and letting resources recover.
Q2. Name five ecosystem functions that serve humans.
Ans-2. Five ecosystem functions
- Provides clean air & water, pollination of crops, climate regulation, soil formation & nutrient cycling, natural pest control.
example - Forests give clean air and oxygen. Bees pollinate food crops. Trees & oceans control climate. Microbes make soil fertile. Birds eat pests that harm crops.
Q3. What are renewable resources? How are they different from non-renewable ones? What can people do to ensure that renewable resources continue to be available for our use and that of future generations? Give two examples.
Ans3. Renewable resources
- *What: Resources that replenish naturally in a short time, like solar, wind, forests, water.
- Things like sunlight, wind, and trees that nature replaces quickly.
- Difference: Non-renewables like coal/oil are finite; renewables regenerate if managed well.
- Coal takes millions of years to form, but trees grow in decades.
- Ensure availability: Use sustainably, replant trees, conserve water. Ex: Solar energy, fisheries.
- Take only what’s needed, replant, avoid wastage. Ex: Solar panels don’t run out; managed fishing keeps stock alive.
Q4. Identify cultural practices in your home and neighbourhood that point to mindfulness in the use of natural resources.
Ans 4. Cultural practices for mindfulness
- Using earthen pots for cooling, worshipping trees like Peepal/Tulsi, rainwater harvesting, using cow dung cakes as fuel.
- Earthen pots save electricity vs fridge. Tree worship protects green cover. Rainwater collection reduces groundwater use. Cow dung as fuel recycles waste.
Q5. What are some considerations to keep in mind in the production of goods for our current use?
Ans 5. Considerations for production of goods
- Use resources efficiently, minimize waste & pollution, choose renewable raw materials, ensure recyclability.
- Don’t use more raw material than needed. Avoid toxic waste. Prefer materials that can be reused or regrown. Design products that last and can be recycled.
