What is the Lithosphere?
The lithosphere or the crust of Earth is rock that surrounds Earth and contains all living organisms.
Informational link about lithosphere:http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/lithosphere/?ar_a=1
http://www.earthbeforeflood.com/shift_o_poles__slip_of_lithosphere_or_change_of_incline_of_earth's_%20axis.html
Land use
We use the lithosphere for different types of purposes from food for us to fuel for cars. Our lithosphere contains lots of valuable items which we can use in everyday life. We use these land use methods to make the stuff we need: Agriculture, Livestock/Grazing, Forestry, Mining, Urbanization, and Recreation.
We use the lithosphere for different types of purposes from food for us to fuel for cars. Our lithosphere contains lots of valuable items which we can use in everyday life. We use these land use methods to make the stuff we need: Agriculture, Livestock/Grazing, Forestry, Mining, Urbanization, and Recreation.
Agriculture: we use this to grow crops, feed animals, and ourselves. This is a good method of saving money and growing fresh crops in your land.Without agriculture, us humans would have to hunt and look for food. We use soil, water, the sun, and land.
Livestock/Grazing: This is feeding the cattle or poultry with food, so later we can use them as food. We do this so we can have an abundance of food and the animals won't die of starve. We use animals, soil, grass, water, food.
Forestry: This is the practice of planting, managing, and. caring for forests. We often use this to make fire wood, and papers, and other things we need that use wood. We use wood, soil, land, and industrial vehicles.
Mining: The process or industry of obtaining coal or other minerals, ores, from a mine or underground. Mining is important because without it, there would be many resources that make up and/or made our economy. We use different methods of obtaining these minerals or ores. We use soil, minerals, and industrial vehicles to mine the minerals/ores.
Urbanization: The increasing number of people that migrate from rural(country) areas to urban(city)areas. Its important because it gives the government more land to build on, to make buildings, transportation, etc. We use land, soil, trees, and building materials.
Recreation: Its activity we do for enjoyment when one is not working. We need this because it gives us a place to relax and have fun with family members or friends. We use land, soil, trees to be removed, and building supplies.
Energy Sources
Alternative resources are more environmentally friendly than traditional resources. They are also renewable meaning they are replenished faster than its used, but they produce less energy than traditional resources.Traditional resources produce more energy than alternative resources, but it comes with a disadvantage, traditional resources cause most of the pollution we have today.
Alternative Resources
Biomass: Is any organic matter-wood,crops,seaweed,animal wastes, that can be used as an energy resource. An advantage of biomass is that the supplies are not limited and we can always grow plants, trees, and crops, and waste will always exist. A disadvantage is that trees and some plants take a few years to grow.
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Hydro power: Is energy that comes from the force of moving water. Some advantages would be that there is a lot of water on Earth, a lot of electricity is produced and energy can be stored to use later in life and its the cheapest way to produce electricity. Some disadvantages would be that dams are very expensive to build and may take years for the project to be done.
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Traditional Resources
Coal: Coal is a fossil fuel created from the remains of plants that lived and died about 100-400 million years ago, when parts of the Earth were covered with huge swampy forests. An advantage would be that coal produces a lot of electricity and its used for a lot of things. Some disadvantages would be that produces a lot of pollution and costs a lot of money to mine it.
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Petroleum: Is a fossil fuel that is made when large quantities of dead organisms goo through intense heat and pressure. A advantage would be that it is cheap and makes mining for oil easier. A disadvantage is that burning it causes environmental pollution and contributes to global warming or global climate change, and takes millions of years to form.
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Uranium: Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element, that is very hard and heavy and is classified as a metal. A advantage is that it helps power nuclear power plants which are important source of electricity. Some disadvantages are that nuclear reactors create a lot of pollution and the resource is radioactive which can give people diseases.
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How Humans Impact The Lithosphere
We negatively impact the lithosphere by changing its land structure and taking from it. But we do this to get a hold of minerals us humans use to create everyday life products. And the more the population grows the more land and resources we use to take care of ourselves. We build buildings and cities that take huge chunks of land.
Impacts
Fracking: A process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rock, to force gas out of the rock. It impacts the environment by the chemicals injected by the fracking process can go into the groundwater, which is the water we use to drink.We use it because its easy money, its cheap, gas burns cleaner and more efficient.
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Desertification: The process by which fertile land becomes desert, as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture. It impacts the environment by creating a new land but animals are't used to the conditions so it affects the animals around that area. We do it to clear the land of plant damage to create new plants,trees for animals to graze on.
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