This week, we are examining natural resources, energy, and climate change in our readings and activities. Some argue that the world is starting to face a natural resources crisis as population and consumption grow faster than we are able to expand what can be produced from the natural world. This, coupled with climate change, means (if accepted) that the current lifestyle of developed nations is not sustainable, and that problem is magnified as developing countries gain some prosperity, which increases consumption.
To give you some additional ideas for this reflection, read this brief article in The Guardian, “The Six Natural Resources Most Drained by Our 7 Billion People,” Links to an external site.and provide your thoughts on this matter.
Your contribution should address one of the following personal perspectives: 1) what is one of the most significant natural resources and how will it shape the 21st century; or 2) What aspect of climate change is most troubling and how do you believe that with affect the world?
Remember this is your reflection, your thoughts on the matter. But as you provide that address the following prompts:
Identify the resource or aspect of climate change you are addressing in the opening sentence. This should be very clear to the reader in that first sentence.
Demonstrate your thinking on the matter — Why is the resource important as you see it or how is your specific example of climate change going to shape the 21st century?
Briefly introduce one real-world example. This could involve droughts, climate change, famines and hunger, flooding, overconsumption by some fraction of society, scarcity of resources, or much more.
What do you think we should do to protect the resource or alter the aspect of climate change you are addressing?