| 9. Natural resources |
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| Human activities of the type that change
our planet with technology evolved at dizzying speed during the 20th
century. These activities aren’t always entirely rational and
have come to endanger the natural resources and the quality of life
on the planet. Our way of exploiting and using energy cannot continue.
For example, most of the energy we use (97%) is not renewable and
will be depleted over the next 50 to 200 years. |
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| Using criteria. A criterion is a principle,
standard or rule underlying such intellectual activities as measuring,
justifying, comparing, distinguishing, valuing, classifying, etc.
Criteria also guide us when we take an action and they allow us
to examine that action critically. So, if we want to buy shoes
that are waterproof and we take into account how friendly the salesclerk
is, our action is not very intelligent. If we taken into account
what they are made of, our action is more intelligent. |
| Ascertain which things we use daily can be recycled
and which cannot: paper, plastic, tins, styrofoam, etc. |
Suppose that you want to buy a product taking into
account the criteria mentioned in the section ‘waste’
(see waste): recycling, reusing and reducing. You should know that
an action guided by these criteria helps save natural resources
and energy and reduce pollution, and, therefore, protects the habitat
of living organisms.
Which of the following questions would you ask yourself and which
ones not: |
| 1. |
Is it durable? |
| 2. |
Is it rechargeable? |
| 3. |
Is it too small? |
| 4. |
Where was it made? |
| 5. |
What is it made of? |
| 6. |
Is it fashionable? |
| 7. |
Do I need a bag? |
| 8. |
Do I need it? |
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Music. Listen to the waltz op. 325 Tales
of the Vienna Forest by Strauss. |
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| Painting. Vincent
van Gogh, 1853-1890. Flower
beds in Holland. |
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| Prepare a simple propaganda
campaign to promote the saving of some natural resource and make your
schoolmates aware that we may run out of some natural resources due
to uncontrolled mass consumption. |
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| © Grup IREF 2003, with the support of the European Commission, DG XXII (Socrates/Comenius 3.2) |
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