| The renewable resources can be replenished, naturally | | | | of the soup. That is the crisis envisaged for water |
| or by human efforts when exploited. Solar, tidal and | | | | supply in the future. Though water is naturally recycled |
| wind energy are good examples. Amenity landscape, | | | | for use via the Water Cycle, its supply is still finite. |
| plants and animals belong here too. | | | | Due to pollution, clean air is increasingly becoming a |
| The Renewability of Renewable Resources | | | | scarce resource in industrial area and our big cities. |
| The replenishment of any renewable resource could | | | | Climatic events such as Global Warming have |
| be natural or by human effort or both. For such | | | | affected the availability of water by increasingly holding |
| replenishment, the exploited resource must have | | | | more water in the atmosphere. Some water bodies |
| enough time and appropriate environmental conditions | | | | have either disappeared or almost doing so especially |
| to recover. Its renewability is therefore its ability to | | | | in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. A good |
| recover to its state prior to exploitation. That means, a | | | | example is Lake Chad, which is bordered by four |
| cleared forest is renewed when its trees grow back | | | | countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria, Chad, Niger |
| to their original state before the clearing. | | | | and Cameroun). The pressure on water has also |
| Today, exploited renewable resources hardly have | | | | gravely affected marine flora and fauna. With an |
| enough time or conducive environmental conditions to | | | | altered environment, some have gone extinct. Intensive |
| recover before they are further exploited. This is | | | | fishing and whaling also seriously cut down marine |
| mainly as a result of both natural and anthropogenic | | | | population and species. |
| events and activities. Harsh and unfriendly climatic | | | | Pollution originating from man's various activities |
| changes (e.g. global warming), increase in sea level, | | | | contributes to the destruction of the already fragile |
| pollution, aggressive urbanization and industrialization, | | | | state of our renewable resources. Industries empty |
| improved farming techniques, have seriously | | | | poisonous wastes into water bodies and empty land, |
| undermined the capacity of these resources to be | | | | and chime their gaseous waste into the atmosphere. |
| replenished. | | | | No minding what harm it does. This has resulted in |
| The astronomical increase in human population has not | | | | environmental pollution and degradation. |
| helped matters either. The need to feed and meet | | | | We Need A Slow Down |
| other needs this increasing population has also | | | | It is clear that our renewable resources are seriously |
| increased the pressure on the resources. This has | | | | endangered mainly by human activities. We have |
| necessitated the clearing of more forest for agricultural | | | | seriously harmed the ability of these resources to |
| purposes, building of houses and industries thus | | | | regenerate themselves. Where we are to be agents |
| decimating the forest resource. Water resources are | | | | of regeneration (e.g. afforestation), we have failed. |
| not spared either. Range animal production is being | | | | We need a slow down almost on every side. Think of |
| intensified and more fertilizers are used. These have | | | | waking up one morning and there would be no water |
| grossly altered the pristine nature and ability of the land | | | | anywhere to drink because the fresh water bodies |
| to support traditional plant and animal species, leading | | | | has all dried up, is contaminated or just not enough to |
| to the extinction or near-extinction of certain plant | | | | go round. Think of a world were there would be no |
| species. | | | | trees or forest because every space has either been |
| This has in turn affected the availability of these | | | | cultivated or built up. Think of an earth were seafood is |
| resources for use. For instance, ensuring a reliable | | | | gone because of water pollution. Think of other |
| supply of good quality, portable water for the over six | | | | consequences, and you would agree with me that we |
| billion people on earth has become one of the greatest | | | | need a rethink and a slow down. We need to address |
| challenges of our era. Water though renewable, has a | | | | aggressive industrialization, sporadic population |
| fixed volume available for human use. So, increase in | | | | increase, deforestation and every other human actions |
| population means an increase in the demand of this | | | | and activities that harm renewable resources and our |
| resource for various purposes - industrial, agricultural, | | | | environment. Our activities in the environment need a |
| domestic, and others. To illustrate this, imagine that a | | | | serious control. We have already seriously damaged |
| pot of soup is served 5 people. Then suddenly 5 more | | | | the environment and lost enough fauna and flora |
| people came and joined them. Minutes later 3 more | | | | species. The choice is ours, and is one that should be |
| joined and the number continues to increase. If the | | | | made quickly. We have reduced the ability of the |
| number people continues to increase, it would get to a | | | | environment and the resources it bears to regenerate |
| point where each person might not get a teaspoon full | | | | and renew themselves. |