Resource Depletion: A growing issue with a lack of growing natural resources

Our resources are running out, and this can’t go on any longer. The term “resource depletion” is daunting, so why are policy makers not being more urgent towards this problem? With the Earth’s natural resources diminishing at the amount of overconsumption that is happening today, we aren’t giving these resources time to replenish. Resource depletion creates a domino effect of more environmental issues happening including decrease in biodiversity, increase in greenhouse gases in the environment, an influx in soil erosion, deforestation, an a multitude of other environmental harms that will result in a weaker future of our environment and overall quality of living. With the lack of the correct amount of time given to replenish these resources, we are only stripping away these sources.

A solution that has been talked about is monitoring consumption cycles and regulating how and when these resources can be used. This takes control and patience because of the time it takes to allow the resources to replenish naturally. Using more renewable energy and greener energy sources can help diminish the use of coal and other fossil fuels. Having these solutions take action quickly and throughout the world will help start picking up the pieces of the harm that has been caused to our environment. In March of 2019, the Natural Resources Management Act was passed and it provides a heightened protection and management over the natural resources on federal land. This has helped look over and surveil the amount of natural resources used and how they are used. Many acts have been coming into play because of the severity of this issue if we continue on as we’ve been doing. But what can we do to stop this?

Point 1- What is a natural resource? What are the different types?

• There are two types of natural resources, renewable and non-renewable.
• Examples of renewable resources are things that can be replenished in a relatively short period; trees, animals, land, and others along the lines of this.
• Non-renewable resources take a very long amount of time to replenish and take a long time to form in the first place. This includes coal, oil, metals, and other raw materials. When it comes to resource depletion, both renewable and non-renewable resources can be harmed. But, the difference is how detrimental the impacts on our environment will be if we don’t reduce the level of consumption that is currently happening today. In the name itself, “non-renewable resources”, it is hard to conserve and grow back the materials at hand.
• An article explains the seriousness of the issue at hand through some statistics, “Resource extraction has more than tripled since 1970, including a fivefold increase in the use of non-metallic minerals and a 45 percent increase in fossil fuel use. By 2060, global material use could double to 190 billion tonnes (from 92 billion), while greenhouse gas emissions could increase by 43 percent.” (UN Environment Programme).

Point 2- Why more can be done and what that could be

• Use more renewable energy. It replenishes itself which will diminish other resources from become unattainable
• Introduce more sustainable mining, fishing, and lumber usage. Figuring out ways to do these acts more sustainably will cut down the amount of harm done to the environment and allow more time for these resources to replenish on their own.
• Consume less plastics and other single-use materials.
• Better waste management

Point 3- How to advocate for replenishing natural resources/ call to action

• Talk more in depth of what we can do as people in our every day lives to stop resource depletion
• How local and state governments can do more to advocate for this issue and be more conscious of the Earth’s resources.

Conclusion

• Wrap up main points of Issue Brief
• Talk about potential laws and policies that can contribute to replenishing natural resources
• What we can do to help this cause

Resource Depletion: A growing issue with a lack of growing natural resources

The term “resource depletion” sounds anything but not an issue, so why are policy makers not being more urgent towards this problem? With the Earth’s natural resources diminishing at the amount of overconsumption that is happening today, we aren’t giving these resources time to replenish. Resource depletion creates a domino effect of more environmental issues happening including decrease in biodiversity, increase in greenhouse gases in the environment, an influx in soil erosion, deforestation, an a multitude of other environmental harms that will result in a weaker future of our environment and overall quality of living. With the lack of the correct amount of time given to replenish these resources, we are only stripping away these sources.

There are two types of natural resources, renewable and non-renewable. Examples of renewable resources are things that can be replenished in a relatively short period; trees, animals, land, and others along the lines of this. Non-renewable resources take a very long amount of time to replenish and take a long time to form in the first place. This includes coal, oil, metals, and other raw materials. When it comes to resource depletion, both renewable and non-renewable resources can be harmed. But, the difference is how detrimental the impacts on our environment will be if we don’t reduce the level of consumption that is currently happening today. In the name itself, “non-renewable resources”, it is hard to conserve and grow back the materials at hand. An article explains the seriousness of the issue at hand through some statistics, “Resource extraction has more than tripled since 1970, including a fivefold increase in the use of non-metallic minerals and a 45 percent increase in fossil fuel use. By 2060, global material use could double to 190 billion tonnes (from 92 billion), while greenhouse gas emissions could increase by 43 percent.” (UN Environment Programme).

A solution that has been talked about is monitoring consumption cycles and regulating how and when these resources can be used. This takes control and patience because of the time it takes to allow the resources to replenish naturally. Using more renewable energy and greener energy sources can help diminish the use of coal and other fossil fuels. Having these solutions take action quickly and throughout the world will help start picking up the pieces of the harm that has been caused to our environment. In March of 2019, the Natural Resources Management Act was passed and it provides a heightened protection and management over the natural resources on federal land. This has helped look over and surveil the amount of natural resources used and how they are used. Many acts have been coming into play because of the severity of this issue if we continue on as we’ve been doing.

Works Cited

“We’re Gobbling up the Earth’s Resources at an Unsustainable Rate.” UNEP, www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/were-gobbling-earths-resources-unsustainable-rate. Accessed 25 Mar. 202

“Breaking down the Natural Resources Management Act and Its Impacts on States.” National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, www.ncelenviro.org/articles/breaking-down-the-natural-resources-management-act-and-its-impacts-on-states/.

“John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act.” US Forest Service, 22 Jan. 2020, www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/fire/technology/law#:~:text=The%20law%20sets%20provisions%20for. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

After completing this assignment, I found the “This I Believe” project enlightened me on how to properly tell a story and the elements that go along with it. For my first draft, I heavily emphasized the first part of my story and went into too much detail about when my parents broke the news to me. This led to not enough emphasis on my actual trip. So for my final draft, I made sure to focus on why this trip was special to me and took off some of the spotlight on the first part of the story. It was also very interesting to hear how others went about this prompt!

My blog topic for Personal is Political will be to take an encounter or small thing that has happened to me in the recent weeks that correlates with a pressing political issue that connects the best with that story. It will tie in and help people get the perspective that this big political problems can be seen in day-to-day encounters.

My blog topic for Civic Issues will be about environmental issues happening around us and if we are moving towards the right direction.

I believe in listening to your parents. To hear this from an 18-year-old currently in college is pretty jarring, I know. It was May of my junior year. The weather was warming up, the days were getting longer, and the thought of school coming to a close was making my patience shrink. Junior year was quite a pivotal year for me in many aspects: new friends, a boyfriend, thinking about colleges, and a whole summer ahead to embrace the new and improved me! 

I was sitting at the dinner table on a Friday night after school. The windows were open and letting in the warm, spring air that with each breath made me think about the summer days ahead; I couldn’t help but smile at the thought. We were eating my dad’s famous homemade pizza that night, which only added to the bliss I was feeling. I took my first sip of my ice-cold Coke after a bite of the pizza fresh out of the oven, while my parents were on their first glass of wine that they paired perfectly for the night’s meal. The dinner was only just beginning. Our appetite was growing, and conversations about our days’ were beginning to erupt. All of a sudden, as we were entering the topic of summer plans, my parents gave each other a knowing look which only led me to a confused look. My mom motions to my dad to let him speak. My eyes jolted to my dad in anticipation of what they could have to say to me. “Grace, we signed you up to go to take classes in Ireland this summer”. 

What?! Before they could say another word I started to bombard them with questions that were rooted in my surprise and confusion. “You signed me up without telling me? I’m going to Ireland with nobody that I know? I’m going for the whole summer? What about my friends? What about all my amazing plans? What about my summer?!”. All justified questions coming from a 16-year-old girl who felt like it was a 3-month sentence to the unknown. Although, taking classes during summer does feel like that big of a deal after just surviving junior year. 

By the time they answered my questions and I felt more at ease, only the crumbs remained from the pizza, my ice-cold Coke turned into melting ice in a cup, and their glasses were slightly stained by the deep red color of the pinot noir that used to fill up the glass. I still wasn’t completely convinced and was mildly unsure about what this summer was going to hold. Despite this, I was going.

As May flew by and school was over, it was time for me to head to Ireland. There were teary-eyed goodbyes to the people whom I thought I had all summer with. Soon after, I was on a direct flight to Dublin. 

Fast forward a couple weeks into the trip as we were walking through a quiet little Irish village filled with the most beautiful nature and kindest people, I remember thinking to myself “I’m so glad I listened to my parents”. That day, when I was able to find Wifi in a restaurant we were in, I immediately went to call my parents and tell them this. That summer was one of the most life-changing and important times of my life and I got to experience it because of my parents. 

Although it might not feel like it all the time, listening to the people who love and support you is important. Make sure that you let your ego down once in a while and get a new perspective on certain opinions. This can help you make your experiences in life all the better. I met some of my lifelong friends this way and got to experience some of my best memories to date. Thanks, mom and dad!

I was just enrolled in this class this Thursday, so here is my first blog post.

My two ideas for my “This I Believe” podcast is talking about being the youngest of 7 kids with a 5 year age gap. I can talk about my experience of what it’s like growing up in a big family and how it can consume your identity and the ups and downs of that. Another idea for my podcast is going from a school with 50 kids in each grade, to then going to Penn State and the challenges that I faced and the good experiences I was able to have through this change.

Some possible ideas for my Personal is Political blog is taking stories, both positive and negative, that have helped me grow as a person and experiences that built my identity and character. There have been many events in my life, big and small, that have made me who I am. I can then connect these with a broader political issue that can create a lesson for a bigger audience. I can also tell stories of the people around me in my personal life who have influenced who I am as a person.

Two ideas for my Civic Issues blog are the climate change crisis or a more general environmental advocacy blog. This two ideas cover some of the same topics but with some differences. I have always been very passionate about the human impact in our environment and what we can do to combat this.

The first idea that our group was thinking of was the controversy of electric cars. When you first think of an electric car, it might seem like it would reduce pollution in our environment. But when you start to take a deeper dive, there are a lot of cons and difficulties in up keeping and producing these cars. The production of the cars itself can be unethical and unhealthy for the environment. Cost is also an issue, and many people can’t afford them. But when purchased, typically these cars last a long time and reduce the usage of gas. Taking in all the factors and pros and cons of electric cars can make for an interesting evaluation of the controversy behind the innovation.

The second idea that we were thinking of is an age limit on energy drinks. With the rise of many energy brand drinks and many people drinking them, do we know what is in these drinks? Many of these energy drinks have been proven to increase heart disease and health risks. Many teenagers have been starting to drink an excess amount of caffeine and energy drinks. Teens and young adults don’t need a big intake of caffeine so this can lead to unhealthy effects in the future. We can further look at the chemicals and ingredients used in these drinks and if there have been strides from the brands to make healthier energy drink options.

Evolving Ideas Ted Talk- Grace Kane

When making these slides, something that was difficult to do was come up with important topics to revolve the slides around. I still need to add more data and exact research to the slides as well. I would love feedback about the organization and more things I could add. Thank you!

https://psu.voicethread.com/share/25176898/

TED Talk:

https://www.ted.com/talks/kathleen_wiant_the_dangers_of_hazing_and_bullying?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

I chose this TED Talk because it holds a very dear place in my heart; it is one of my best friend’s mother speaking about the tragedy of her son’s death due to hazing in a fraternity at Ohio University. The Wiant’s are such an amazing family and after going through such a tragic loss of their brother, Collin, they have become even more compassionate and strong. In this TED Talk, Kathleen Wiant talks about her personal experience of the tragedy and then speaks about how hazing is a slow process that acts as a snowball effect. Her delivery is strong and engaging and she uses good descriptive language that echoes her point that hazing is more than what you think.

Going to such a big school ourselves with many frats and sororities, it is sadly inevitable that this hazing happens here too. She does a good job using pathos to connect with the audience, because so many of us know people who have been affected by a situation similar to this. I encourage all of you to watch this talk so we can all become more knowledgable on the background and buildup of hazing. This can help combat the issue before it becomes too late. If you would like to learn more about Collin’s story and the Wiant’s, they have a website: collinwiantfoundation.org.

Unit Two Ideas:

Some topics that I am thinking of doing for the Unit Two projects of evolving ideas are the safety precaution in sports, the evolution and incorporation of architecture styles from past-present, or the changes in TV and movie entertainment.

The sports safety through the years would be a good topic because of how far we’ve come with medical treatments and diagnosis’s that help us become more aware of how dangerous activities can be. I can first start out with the minimal precautions taken and talk about the equipment used in the early stages. Then, throughout the decades, talk about the factors that went into the current equipment and rules that have been added.

For the architecture idea, I can first introduce the early stages of building styles and techniques that the Greeks and Romans used. From there, you can see how these have been implemented in many countries and cities. I can also talk about the different eras of building styles and how this might have reflected the state of our world and economy at the time.

For changes in TV and movies I can first start out with the minimal amount of engagement of sounds and visuals were used; it was much more simplistic. From there, I can talk about the rapid amount of eccentric visuals and fast-paced media have become more prevalent. This might have created an uptick in people’s attention spans.