Employability Skills II: Conservation of resources

Hello students, welcome to Kwickprep. Chennai faced a severe water crisis in twenty nineteen, when its main lakes almost dried up. Could this happen in your city too? Today we will learn what resources are, why we must conserve them, and simple ways to do it.

First, the meaning of a resource. A resource is anything that is useful to us and meets our needs. Natural resources come from nature, like water, air, soil, forests and minerals. Human made resources are created by people, like buildings, machines and roads. People themselves, with their skills and knowledge, are called human resources.

Natural resources are of two main types. Renewable resources are refilled by nature again and again, like sunlight, wind and water. Non-renewable resources exist in limited amounts and take millions of years to form, like coal, petroleum and natural gas. Even renewable resources, like water and forests, can be damaged if we overuse them.

Now, what does conservation mean? Conservation means using resources wisely and carefully. It means we avoid wasting them or using more than we need. The aim is to protect resources, so future generations can also use them.

There are four strong reasons to conserve. Many resources, like coal and groundwater, are limited. As the population grows, the demand for water, food and energy keeps rising. Overusing resources causes pollution, loss of forests and climate change. And using less saves money, for families as well as businesses.

The simplest way to remember conservation is the three Rs. Reduce means use less in the first place, like carrying a cloth bag instead of taking plastic bags. Reuse means using an item again, like refilling a glass jar. Recycle means turning waste into new products, like old paper made into new notebooks. Reduce comes first, because the best waste is the one never created.

Let us look at each resource, starting with water. Close the tap while brushing your teeth. Fix leaking taps quickly, because a slowly dripping tap can waste many litres in a day. Collect rainwater from rooftops, which is called rainwater harvesting. On farms, drip irrigation gives water drop by drop, right at the roots.

Next, energy. Switch off lights, fans and chargers when you do not need them. Use LED bulbs and appliances with a five star energy rating, because they use less electricity. Use solar energy, like solar water heaters, wherever possible. And walk, cycle or share rides to save fuel.

Now, soil and forests. Plant trees, and protect the trees that already exist. Use compost made from kitchen waste, instead of too many chemical fertilisers. Use both sides of paper, since paper comes from trees. On slopes, farmers cut steps called terraces, and plant grass, to stop soil being washed away.

Pause and predict the R for each action before the answer. Refilling the same water bottle is reuse, because the bottle is used again. Saying no to a plastic straw is reduce, because you use less plastic. Selling old newspapers to the raddiwala is recycle, because they are turned into new paper.

Let us revise what we learned today. Resources can be natural, human made, or human. Renewable resources are refilled by nature, while non-renewable resources run out. Conservation means using resources wisely and avoiding waste. Remember the three Rs, reduce, reuse and recycle. And save water, energy, soil and forests through small actions every day.