Many of the gifts of nature cannot be used in their original form. They have to be processed to make more useful commodities, goods and services. For example, cotton is changed into yarn and cloth; wood is made into furniture; sugarcane is processed to obtain sugar and other products. Processed goods are more useful and, therefore, more valuable. So, as goods are processed, utility and value are being added to that particular gift of nature. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about a term used in economics. ... In economics, utility is a measure of the relative happiness or satisfaction (gratification) gained. ... Love gift Man presents a cut of meat to a youth with a hoop. ... “Natural” redirects here. ...

Precious gold has been treasured through the ages.

Commons:Image:Gold ingots. ... Commons:Image:Gold ingots. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ...

Types of values attached to resources

As resources are very useful, we attach some value to them. Resources help to produce goods so they have economic value. Natural resources like forests, mountains etc. are very beautiful so they have aesthetic value. Gifts of nature such as water also has a legal value because it is our right to enjoy it. On the other hand, resources have an ethical value as well because it is our moral duty to protect and conserve them for the future generations. In general, the economic value of something is how much a product or service is worth to someone relative to other things (often measured in money). ... This article is about a community of trees. ... Aesthetics (or esthetics) (from the Greek word αισθητική) is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty. ...

Clean drinking water is a resource required by all people.

Image File history File links Drinking_water. ... Image File history File links Drinking_water. ... Drinking water Mineral Water Drinking water is water that is intended to be ingested by humans. ...

Characteristics of resources

1. They have utility
2. Many of them are found in limited quantity
3. They can be used to provide services and produce new goods

In economics, utility is a measure of the relative happiness or satisfaction (gratification) gained. ... In economics, scarcity is defined as a condition of limited resources, where society does not have sufficient resources to produce enough to fulfill subjective wants. ...

Value of a resource

The value or the importance of the gifts of nature depends upon several factors:

The needs of the people

Human needs are not uniform all over the world. Over the years, they have grown and become more complex with the progress of human society. In very developed societies, people use a variety of products which are highly processed. On the other hand, in developing countries, the consumption of processed items is much less; while primitive communities like the Pygmies in Africa hardly use any processes items. Complexity in general usage is the opposite of simplicity. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with consumption (economics). ... Baka dancers in the East Province of Cameroon Batwa dancers in Uganda This article is about the Pygmy people. ...

For some people firewood is still a vital resource.

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 492 pixelsFull resolution (3452 × 2124 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 492 pixelsFull resolution (3452 × 2124 pixel, file size: 3. ... Wood burning is the largest current use of biomass derived energy. ...

The level of technology possessed by the people

The level of technology also influences the utilization of resources. For example, the Prairies of North America were inhabited by the American Indians who used the Prairies as hunting grounds. Later when the European settlers arrived, they used the Prairies for agriculture. Today the Prairies are famous for the cultivation of wheat and the rearing of animals on a commercial basis. By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the surface of the Earth for the first time and explore space. ... For other uses, see Prairie (disambiguation). ...

Mechanised harvesting has greatly increased the agricultural yield in some regions yet cotton is still hand picked in many poor countries.

Image Number K5925-12 Cotton harvesting in Texas. ... Image Number K5925-12 Cotton harvesting in Texas. ... This article is about gathering crops. ... Yield may mean: In economics, yield is a measure of the amount of income an investment generates over time (related to return on investment). ...

Time

The value of the resource changes with time as well. For example, water was used by early man purely for his personal needs. As time went on, water was used by humans for agricultural purposes namely irrigation. Later, water was also used as a means of transportation and humans built boats to travel on water. Nowadays, water is also used to generate electricity. Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops. ... Electricity (from New Latin Ä“lectricus, amberlike) is a general term for a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. ...

Types of resources

Resources may be classified broadly into 3 groups:-

Natural resources

Natural resources are derived from the environment. Many of them are essential for our survival while others are used for satisfying our wants. Natural resources may be further classified in different ways.

A tea plantation in Malaysia.

1. On the basis of origin, resources may be divided into:- Tea plantation in Malaysia (Cameron Hightand). ... Tea plantation in Malaysia (Cameron Hightand). ... For other uses, see Tea (disambiguation). ... Fundamentally, a plantation is usually a large farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country, on which cotton, tobacco, coffee, sugar cane, or trees and the like is cultivated, usually by resident laborers. ...

• Biotic - Biotic resources are the ones which are obtained from the biosphere. Forests and their products, animals, birds and their products, fish and other marine organisms are important examples. Minerals such as coal and petroleum are also included in this category beacause they were formed from decayed organic matter.

Coal is a widely used fossil fuel resource.

• Abiotic - Abiotic resources comprise of non-living things. Examples include land, water, air and minerals such as gold, iron, copper, silver etc.

2. On the basis of the stage of development, resources may be called:- For other uses, see Biosphere (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ... Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Lubbock, Texas Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... coal This image is from:http://resourcescommittee. ... coal This image is from:http://resourcescommittee. ... Fossil fuels or mineral fuels are hydrocarbons found within the top layer of the earth’s crust. ... A LAND attack is a DoS (Denial of Service) attack that consists of sending a special poison spoofed packet to a computer, causing it to lock up. ... Look up air in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

• Potential Resources - Potential resources are those which exist in a region and may be used in the future. For example, mineral oil may exist in many parts of India having sedimentary rocks but till the time it is actually drilled out and put into use, it remains a potential resource.

• Actual Resources are those which have been surveyed, their quantity and quality determined and are being used in present times. For example, the petroleum and the natural gas which is obtained from the Bombay High Fields. The development of an actual resource, such as wood processing depends upon the technology available and the cost involved. That part of the actual resource which can be developed profitably with available technology is called a reserve.

Pine plantations provide timber that has many uses.

3. On the basis of renewability, natural resources can be categorised into:- Mineral oil or liquid petrolatum is a by-product in the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline. ... Wood processing is an engineering discipline comprising the production of forest products, such as pulp and paper, construction materials, and tall oil. ... In economics, business, and accounting, a cost is the value of inputs that have been used up to produce something, and hence are not available for use anymore. ... Young pine trees. ... Young pine trees. ... Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction or wood...

• Renewable Resources - Renewable resources are the ones which can be replenished or reproduced easily. Some of them like sunlight, air, wind etc. are continuously available and their quantity does not get affected by human consumption. Many renewable resources can get depleted by human use but may also be replenished thus maintaining a flow. Some of these like agricultural crops take a short time fo renewal; others like water take a comparatively longer time while still others like forests take even longer.

• Non-renewable Resources - Non-renewable resources are formed over very long geological periods. Minerals and fossils are included in this category. Since, their rate of formation is extremely slow, they cannot be replenished once they get depleted. Out of these, the metallic minerals can be re-used by recycling them. But coal and petroleum cannot be recycled.

See also: Natural resource management

An off-shore oil platform.

A renewable resource is a natural resource that is not depleted when used by human beings. ... Wyoming coal mine. ... The geologic time scale is used by geologists and other scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred during the history of the Earth. ... Resource depletion is an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region. ... Natural resource management is a discipline in the management of natural resources such as land, water, soil, plants and animals, with a particular focus on how management affects the quality of life for both present and future generations. ... Oil platform from NASA JPL. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Oil platform from NASA JPL. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The Hibernia platform is the worlds largest oil platform. ...

Human resources

Human beings are also considered to be resources beacause it is the ability of humans that helps to change the gifts of nature into valuable resources. While taking into account human beings as resources, the following things have to be kept in mind:-

• The size of the population
• The quality

Human-made resources

Human-made resources are those aids of production which have been ό created by humans to transform and utilize the gifts of nature as well as improve or increase productivity. These include:-

• Equipment, machinery, buildings etc. - These are essential for the production of commodities. They are also referred to as the physical capital of production.
• Technology - Technology refers to the process or method by which goods are produced. Rapid industrialization in many parts of the world has been possible due to the advancement in technology.
• Legal bodies and political, cultural and social institutions - Legal bodies and political institutions maintain law and order thus ensuring that people are free to move about and carry their business. The policies of the government concerning international trade and foreign investment also influence productivity.

International trade is the exchange of goods and services across international boundaries or territories. ...

Resource use and sustainable development

The gifts of nature cannot be consumed in their original form. They have to be processed in order to change them into more usable commodities. This is known as resource development. With the rise in human numbers all over the world, the demand for resources has also increased. However, there is a difference in the distribution of resources to different regions or countries. Developed countries use more resources than developing countries. Resource Distribution refers to the distribution of resources, including land, water, minerals fuel and others between comparable areas. ...

Smog covering Los Angeles.

The rising demand coupled with the over-utilization of resources has led to several problems:- Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (4128x1132, 951 KB) Summary Los Angeles and Griffin Observatory, as viewed from the Hollywood Hills. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (4128x1132, 951 KB) Summary Los Angeles and Griffin Observatory, as viewed from the Hollywood Hills. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ...

1. Depletion of resources
2. Accumulation of resources in the hands of a few
3. Environmental degradation

We should therefore aim at sustainable development of resources, which means the resources should be used in such a manner that besides meeting the needs of the present generation, we can also take care of the needs of the future generations. To achieve this, successful resource planning and the conservation of resources are necessary. Resource depletion is an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region. ... Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. ... Sustainable development is a socio-ecological process characterized by the fulfilment of human needs while maintaining the quality of the natural environment indefinitely. ...