4 Resources We Are Wasting At Maximum Rate

Industries are profit maximizers. So it makes sense that they would try to take as many resources, for the least amount of money and time. But what about for our future generations? Here are 4 natural resources we are abusing at an unsustainable rate.

* Water

Our Earth’s surface is covered by over 70% of water. Out of the 70%, only 1 % of that water is drinkable. So between 7 billion people and counting, there are clearly dangers a head. Our waste problem is not just endangering aquatic animals or the air that we breathe but also our access to drinking water. Toxins from landfills can make their way to our ground water, making it undrinkable. Not to mention we are wasting this water on industrial processes. The best way to save drinking water for everyone is to reduce our waste and the amount of “stuff” we buy. Here are some tips on products to stay away from.

* Petroleum

Petroleum oil is one of the most desired resources out there. This fossil fuel has been fought over for centuries and is accessed through oil drilling. Oil reserves around mostly found places like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates. In the U.S. plastic is not created from crude oil but liquid petroleum gas (LPG). In 2010, 191 million barrels of LPG was used to make plastic products which accounts for over 2.5% of the U.S. petroleum consumption. Additionally, 1 million barrels of LPG were used to manufacture these products. At this rate, we are expected to run out of oil by 2060. What about our future generations?

* Trees

At school, you might not think twice about printing out the 50 page articles your professor assigns you. Or you may even over look the few pieces of paper that end up in the trash instead of recycling. But would you care more if you knew that every minute, the equivalent to 20 football fields of forest is being cut down? An average American uses about 749 pounds of paper every year and less than half is recycled. Recycling paper is easy and sustainable, so do it! Save our trees! They give us oxygen and have so many other benefits!

* Rare Earth Minerals

There are 17 rare earth minerals that are used in electronic circuits in smartphones. Around every 1 out of 5 people are smart phone users and over 1.5 billion smartphones exist on earth. As a growing technological world we are very dependent on rare earth minerals. Even worse, we haven’t found sufficient substitutes. Although we are not running out yet, it is becoming increasingly expensive to access these metals. They are also a large contributer to renewable technologies like solar panels.