Raw materials are ... Types, protection and use of raw materials

Raw materials are the basis for the existence of human society. Providing the needs of industry and the population is the main problem of the economy. In a broad sense, they include all the natural resources that are used by man, in a narrow sense - only that which is the source of material production. An example of a resource is oil. It is used for the production of chemicals, fuel, plastics, pharmaceutical products. Another example is wood. It is used in the production of many products, including furniture. In each region of the Russian Federation, there is a separate Department of Forestry, which is concerned with the protection of wood resources.

The concept of

Raw materials are any products of agriculture and forestry, fisheries, all kinds of minerals that are in their original form or have changed during the preparation for sale on an international scale. For example, oil, cotton, coal, iron ore, air, logs, sea water. About 30% of the world's non-energy mineral resources are concentrated on the African continent. However, this state of affairs negatively affected the development of states. This phenomenon was called "Dutch disease". Its feature is the dependence of the economy on the export of resources.

As the basis of the economy

Thus, raw materials are everything that exists in nature and was created without effort on the part of mankind. They may need to be pretreated or not. The first group, for example, can include fresh water or air, the second - metal ores, oil, most types of energy resources. The distribution of raw materials is a serious problem, especially in conditions of depletion of its reserves. Export of natural resources is the basis of many economies. Some types of raw materials are common everywhere, for example sunlight and air. The rest can only be found in certain territories. Only a few types of natural resources are inexhaustible. However, the reserves of most raw materials are quite limited, that is, it can end in the foreseeable future, especially when inefficient use in production.

Classification

There are several criteria for the allocation of groups of natural resources. The most common classification is their breakdown by source of origin, degree of processing and renewability. Taking into account the first criterion, we can distinguish the following two groups:

• Biotic raw materials. These are animals, plants and organic materials that can be obtained from them. For example, this category also includes fossil fuels, in particular coal and oil. They are formed from decomposed organic substances.
• Abiotic raw materials. Their difference is that they are not organic in origin. Among the abiotic raw materials can be called land, clean water, air and heavy metals, including gold, iron, copper, silver.

In production

Another criterion of classification may be the degree of processing. It can be divided into the following groups:

• Potential resources. These include the raw materials, whose reserves are in the region, but their use is planned only in the future. For example, oil can be found in the extraction of sedimentary rocks. However, until the time when the development of its field is actually begun, it remains a potential resource.
• Actual raw materials. This category includes resources, the quantity and quality of which has been determined, and their production is currently being carried out. The degree of processing of such raw materials depends on available technologies and the costs associated with this.
• Reserve resources. This is part of the actual raw materials that can be used with greater profits in the future.
• "Spare" resources. This category includes raw materials, the deposits of which have been investigated, but for their development new and unexplored technologies are needed. For example, hydrogen.

Reproduction

The eternal problem of the economy is the infinity of human needs and the limited resources available. Natural raw materials for production can be classified by renewability. On the basis of this criterion, two groups are distinguished:

• Renewable resources. They are replenished in a natural way. Some of these resources, such as sunlight, air, water, are constantly available, and their consumption by humans does not significantly affect their volume. However, part of the renewable raw materials may be depleted when over-involved in the production process. This happens in the event that their natural replenishment is slower than is necessary for a person, but not for millions of years.
• Non-renewable resources. Raw materials from this category are either formed very slowly, or are not created naturally by the environment in general. An example of unprotected resources is most minerals. Their formation will take millions of years. Therefore, from the human point of view, fossil fuels belong to this category.

Extraction of natural resources

The use of raw materials occurred, albeit on different scales, both in pre-industrial societies, and today. Mining, forestry, agriculture and fisheries are referred to the primary sector of the economy. They supply resources for other areas in which they add value. The wealth of the country largely depends on how efficiently the mineral resources are used. However, the influx of money from their sale can create significant problems associated with the emergence of inflation that damages other industries (the "Dutch disease"), and corruption, which leads to increased inequality in income distribution and inhibition of economic growth.

Exhaustion of raw materials

In recent years, the problem of increasing consumption by industry of natural resources is especially acute. The problem of depletion is not only occupied by national governments, but also by an international organization such as the United Nations. In each state there are separate departments that deal with the protection of certain types of raw materials. For example, in each region of the Russian Federation there is a Department of Forestry, whose main task is the effective implementation of the rights to use wood resources.

Ways to improve efficiency

In order to save resources - wood and mineral - for future generations, it is necessary to use them correctly. It is around the problem of depletion of raw materials that the concept of sustainable development is being built . Its implementation involves balancing current and future needs. Depletion of natural resources is due to both their direct extraction and inefficient use. For example, the deterioration of soil quality is a consequence of the extensive development of agriculture.

Protection of natural resources

In 1982, the UN developed a special charter, the main purpose of which was to protect the environment from the negative impact of human activities. It states that measures should be taken at all levels. A number of international organizations are engaged in this issue. The raw material base and its protection are the subject of a separate section of biology as a scientific discipline.