Resources & Sustainability (AQA GCSE Chemistry: Combined Science)

Revision Note

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Author

Stewart

Last updated

11 July 2024

Natural resources

Natural resources are all around us and provide us with the materials we need for shelter, food, warmth and transport
These resources can be:
- Living: plants and animals
- Non-living: Minerals, fossil fuels, water and air
Some resources can be replaced by synthetic products and others cannot
- Resources that can not be replaced are described as finite
Chemistry plays an important role in the development of new materials through sustainable processes that enable the need of the current generation to be met without compromising the availability of natural resources for future generations
Two examples of this are rubber and fertilisers
- Rubber, which is extracted from the sap of trees (called latex), is an example of a natural product that can be replaced by a synthetic one
- The replacement material for rubber are polymers which have been developed to specifically replace the rubber in many products
In some areas the appliance of scientific advancement has also allowed us to maximise the production of natural products
The use of fertilisers to enhance crop yield is an example of this

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Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash

Plants are natural resources that provide materials for food, shelter and clothing

Renewable & non-renewable resources

Natural resources can be classified as either renewable or non-renewable
- Non-renewable resources are also described as finite
Renewable resources is those resources which can be replenished or replaced in a finite time in a human timescale
Timber is an example of a renewable resource as trees and forests can be replanted after the wood has been harvested, although they do take years to replenish
Finite or non-renewable resources are those that don’t reform quickly enough or don’t reform at all
Examples include minerals from the Earth’s crust and metal ores
After extraction, many resources require further processing to make the desired products
These processes require energy and make the extraction process less sustainable
Examples include the reduction of metals from ores and the fractional distillation of crude oil
The extraction of non-renewable resources carries risks
The Earth’s natural resources are being depleted and large amounts of energy are being consumed in the process of extraction

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Photo by Chris Linnett at Unsplash

Building materials such as limestone can often be non-renewable, but recycling and re-using materials ensure that buildings of the future are constructed in a sustainable way and reduce the need to further exploit finite mineral resources