PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT Natural resources are sometimes classi fied as renewable or nonrenewable Forests grasslands wildlife and soil are examples of renewable resources They can be regener ated through natural processes and prudent management can maintain them at steady levels The consumption of the limited sup plies of nonrenewable fossil fuels such as coal petroleum and natural gas whether wasteful or not speeds their depletion Conservation includes measures toward reduced usage of fossil fuels Likewise certain nonrenew able critical ores and metals such as iron aluminum bauxite and copper have finite supplies and controlled accessibility that Sometimes call for conservation measures such as recycling programs to assure contin ued production Another goal of conservation is to pre serve the natural beauty of a community When land is mistreated the countryside can become aesthetically unpleasant Vacant lots covered with trash bare roadsides garbage laden streams and the unregulated sprawl of strip malls are considered ugly by most people Conservation also helps to preserve areas suitable for recreation As cities grow crowded natural areas become more scarce In order for people to enjoy their leisure 12
GoALS OF CONSERVATION Ducks swim amid garbage in a polluted waterway Refuse clogged riv ers and canals are more than just unsightly They also pose a threat to wildlife Shutterstock com time they need or can benefit greatly from city parks wildlife preserves and national parks grass and trees bordering roads and highways and clear rivers and streams Natural resources are a vital part of sus taining human life Conservation measures are designed to control manage and preserve them so that they can be used and appreci ated to the fullest A proper conservation 13
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT program incorporates effective measures so that all natural resources are managed in the best interest of everyone HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ABUSES IN THE UNITED STATES The settlement of the United States provides a dramatic example of the unsus tainable depletion of resources When the first European settlers arrived in North America they found a continent rich in nat ural resources Much of the land was covered with forests where wild animals abounded Great herds of bison roamed the grasslands The soil was deep and fertile Clean lakes and streams unpolluted with silt and chemi cal wastes held a wealth of fish Surrounded by what seemed to be unending supplies of natural resources and in the struggle to obtain food clothing and shelter settlers cut down millions of acres of the Eastern forests As they moved westward they plowed up the native grass lands to plant corn maize and wheat Their growing cities dumped sewage and waste material from factories and homes into the lakes and streams 14
GoALS OF CONSERVATION AP A Texas farm turned into a dust bowl during the 1930s Overfarming lessens the natural vegetation on the land leaving the soil unable to absorb and retain moisture Three Lions Hulton Archivel Getty Images Much of the spring and summer rain in the United States falls in torrential thunder storms especially in the vast Missouri Mississippi and Ohio river basins The farm ers who settled the country were mainly 15
