We explain what resource exploitation is and its consequences. Types of natural resources and examples of exploitation.
What is the exploitation of natural resources?
The exploitation of natural resources refers to the activities of extraction and processing of raw materials available in nature by humans, for the purposes of obtaining energy and manufacturing industrial inputs or processed consumer products.
From the fruits collected and the animals hunted for food, or the wood cut and the stone mined to make houses and tools, to the raw materials of the complex industrial, energy, oil and manufacturing processes of which modern industry is capable, humanity has always taken advantage of the natural resources of its environment to make life easier and better. And that is the exploitation of natural resources.
This type of activity, however, witnessed a gigantic increase as a result of the Industrial Revolution and the subsequent technological revolutions that allowed the emergence of contemporary society. The new consumer society needed to mass produce its goods, which required constant raw materials in large quantities.
Although this allowed unparalleled technological development and a substantial improvement in the quality and expectations of human life, compared to pre-industrial times, also brought with it pollution, overexploitation and ecological destruction.
See also: Means of production
Types of natural resources
Today, various types of natural resources are exploited, which can be classified into three categories:
- Non-renewable resources. Those that exist in finite quantities and that once exhausted will not be produced again, or will take long periods of time to do so. For example, oil.
- Partially renewable resources. Those that are constantly being produced in nature and do not run the real risk of being exhausted soon, since they are produced faster than they are consumed. For example, fishing for certain rapidly reproducing species.
- Renewable resources. Those that do not become exhausted with their use or that recover their original condition quickly, so there is no possible risk of them becoming exhausted. For example, sunlight used to generate solar energy.
Examples of exploitation
Some examples of exploitation of natural resources are:
- Oil exploitation. Oil is one of the most valuable resources of all time, from which numerous inputs for various human industries and also different hydrocarbon fuels are derived. Oil is non-renewable and is obtained from ancient deposits of organic matter in the subsoil, which after centuries of pressure and temperature become a homogeneous fossil mass.
- Wood exploitation. The felling of trees to take advantage of their wood is also an important industry worldwide, since wood is used as a raw material in the manufacture of furniture, toys, tools, ornaments, etc. And the pulp is also used in the production of paper.
- Commercial fishing. Fishing exploitation can be of various types: coastal and artisanal, massive and trawling, or specific, as was whaling during the early 20th century. Either way, it is about extracting life from the ocean to generate food and other commercial inputs.
- Atomic energy. The production of electricity through controlled nuclear explosions requires very particular inputs, such as isotopes of Uranium or Hydrogen, some of which can be extracted from the subsoil, and others can be manufactured in the laboratory from, in turn, other mineral inputs.
Consequences of overexploitation
Is called overexploitation to the excessive or uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources, especially those that are non-renewable or only partially renewable. The consequences of this uncontrolled activity are usually:
- Resource depletion. The extinction of species, rapid depletion of mines or the end of exploitable surfaces (as in agriculture), which weaken the industry and lead to raw material crises.
- Environmental destruction. The destruction of natural habitats affects the quality of life of numerous species, which leads to extinction and the impoverishment of global biodiversity.
- Pollution. Overexploitation releases a greater amount of toxic, radioactive or ecological balance-modifying waste, without giving the ecosystem time to deal with it or recover from its impact.
- Socioeconomic crisis. The imbalance in extraction mechanisms usually leads to raw material crises and, therefore, to imbalances in the international market, now that the economy is globalizing. This translates into poverty and social and economic damage for the weakest countries.
