| NSES Content Standard F
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Natural resources Grades 9-12, page 198 The earth does not have infinite resources; increasing human consumption
places severe stress on the natural processes that renew some resources,
and it depletes those resources that cannot be renewed.
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Benchmark 4B The Physical Setting: The
Earth
Grades 6-8, page 69
Some minerals are very rare and some exist in great quantities, but--for
practical purposes--the ability to recover them is just as important as
their abundance. As minerals are depleted, obtaining them becomes more
difficult. Recycling and the development of substitutes can reduce the
rate of depletion but may also be costly.
Benchmark 5E The Living Environment:
Flow of Matter and Energy
Grades 9-12, page 121
The amount of life any environment can support is limited by the available
energy, water, oxygen, and minerals, and by the ability of ecosystems to
recycle the residue of dead organic materials. Human activities and technology
can change the flow and reduce the fertility of the land.
Benchmark 8A The Designed World: Agriculture
Grades 9-12, page 186
Agricultural technology requires trade-offs between increased production
and environmental harm and between efficient production and social values.
In the past century, agricultural technology led to a huge shift of population
from farms to cities and a great change in how people live and work.
Benchmark 8C The Designed World: Energy
Sources and Use
Grades 6-8, page 194
Energy from the sun (and the wind and water energy derived from it)
is available indefinitely. Because the flow of energy is weak and variable,
very large collection systems are needed. Other sources don't renew or
renew only slowly.
Benchmark 8C The Designed World: Energy
Sources and Use
Grades 9-12, page 195
Industrialization brings an increased demand for and use of energy.
Such usage contributes to the high standard of living in the industrially
developing nations but also leads to more rapid depletion of the earth's
energy resources and to environmental risks associated with the use of
fossil and nuclear fuels.