7.1 Natural Resources

7.1.1 Natural resources are the raw materials and sources of energy used and consumed by society.

These include sunlight, air, water, land, rocks, ecosystems and living things.

State one human use of each of the listed natural resources.

7.1.2 Natural capital is the stock of natural resources available on Earth.

Aggregates - Wennington Quarry

Freshwater - River Thames

Wood - Parks etc.

London Tree Map | Fallen and Felled | Trees SavedOur map shows the trees we have rescued in and around London. These trees would ordinarily be burned as waste. We turn them into quality hardwood for furniture makers, architects and designers to give them a second life.

Identify examples of natural capital in another case study location.

7.1.3 Natural capital provides [a flow of ] natural income in terms of goods and services.

Examples of natural income goods include fish or timber.

Example of natural income services include climate regulation and flood prevention.

Draw a systems diagram for stocks and flows of a named natural resource.

7.1.4 The terms “natural capital” and “natural income” imply a particular perspective on nature.

Can you put a price on the beauty of the natural world? | George MonbiotGeorge Monbiot: Those who reduce nature to a column of figures play to an agenda that ignores its inherent value – and seeks to destroy it

Here's why Indigenous economics is the key to saving natureMainstream Western economics is destroying the environment - and the Indigenous knowledge that has conserved nature for millenia.

Discuss the usefulness of the concept of natural capital in sustainably managing a named natural resource [5].

7.1.5 Ecosystems provide life-supporting ecosystem services.

You need to know about:

Water replenishment
Flood and erosion protection
Pollution mitigation (for example, reed bed buffer zones to remove inorganic nutrients)
Carbon sequestration.

Click Here For Examples

Outline four examples of ecosystem services in a named ecosystem [4].

7.1.6 All resources are finite. Resources can be classified as either renewable or non-renewable.

7.1.7 Natural capital has aesthetic, spiritual, economic, cultural, social, environmental, health, intrinsic, and technological value. The value of natural capital is influenced by these factors.

7.1.8 The value of natural capital is dynamic in that it can change over time.

7.1 Resources ESS 2026

Explain the dynamic nature of natural capital [4].

7.1.9 The long-term well-being of ecosystems and humans depends on resources not being used more rapidly than they can be regenerated, and on waste products not being released more rapidly than they can be transformed. Include examples to illustrate how ecosystems and societies could be harmed by excessive harvesting of resources and by the release of polluting waste products.

The ideas below are really central to understanding ESS.

Processes move substances from sources to sinks.

Both of which can result in environmental issues.

Using resources faster than they regenerate depletes a source.

Releasing waste faster than it is transformed causes pollution.

7.1.11 The choices a society makes in using given natural resources are affected by many factors and reflect diverse perspectives.

In groups, discuss how the following natural resources should be managed. Start each sentence "I'm thinking about this from the perspective of... and I think..." Use the prompts above to help you identify perspectives you could take.

London: North Sea Oil

Zambia: Copper

Hokkaido: Forests

Coral Triangle: Fish

Costa Rica: Rainfall

HL ONLY

Most of the HL content for this unit should be studied independently by deep reading. Start on InThinking and go down rabbit holes to deepen your subject knowledge. However, we will study Environmental Impact Assessments in class...

7.1.14 Sustainable resource management in development projects is addressed in an environmental impact assessment (EIA).

7.1.15 Countries and regions have different guidance on the use of EIAs.

7.1.16 Making EIAs public allows local citizens to have a role as stakeholders in decision-making.

Development projects can bring clear benefits, but they can also create environmental, social and economic impacts. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a formal process used in many countries to identify, predict, evaluate and mitigate these impacts before a project goes ahead, and to monitor impacts once it is completed.

In this task, you will act as an independent environmental consultancy and carry out a very brief EIA for a proposed project in one of our case study locations.

Setup

Pick a country

Mini EIA Task Sheet

Create a copy of the document above for your EIA.

Choose one realistic project from the list below that would require an EIA in your chosen location. If you think a different project would be more appropriate for your location, check with me first.

New road
Large-scale housing development
Wind farm or solar farm
Hydroelectric dam
Port expansion
Mining project
Tourist resort
Waste management facility

Local EIA Guidelines

Briefly skim-read one example EIA from your region.

Record notes on:

Name of guideline / law / authority:
One or two key features of how EIAs are used in this region:
One thing you noticed from the example EIA (length, structure, type of data, stakeholder input, etc.):

Baseline Survey

EIAs begin with a baseline survey to find out what exists in the area. You might consider biodiversity, water, air, etc.

Decide which parameters you will measure. For each parameter, outline how data would be collected as part of the EIA. You do not need full detail – focus on realistic methods.

Field surveys
Water or air quality sampling
Species counts or habitat mapping
Questionnaires or community interviews
Traffic counts or noise measurements

Impact, Recommendations, Monitoring, Engagement

Complete the relevant sections in the template document.

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