Non-renewable ResourcesAll industrial societies use massive amounts of energy because energy powers technology.Energy is derived from resources such as petroleum, coal, natural gas (cannot be renewed once we have exhausted the planet’s supplies), nuclear and hydroelectricity. All Western industrial nations, including Canada, are addicted to oil as George W. Bush noted it in his State of the Union address while talking about America. We are already suffering the economic consequences of the world’s declining fossil fuel reserves with gas price increasing significantly since the early 80’s. The peak oil: The peak in global oil production, when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production goes into permanent decline. It is a major new topic within the global geopolitical debate. This global peak oil period has either already occurred or will occur within the next decade.As supplies slowly decrease, control over the remaining petroleum reserves will become the focus of political, military and economic interests. The other non renewable resources are no better for the environment than oil (i.e. burning of coal contributes to the carbon dioxide and sulphuric dioxide production that increases global warming and acid rain) Renewable resources then ? I.e. hydroelectric (least expensive & most widely used but causes environmental damage to the local wildlife with waterways), solar, wind and geothermal energy. HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMSEnvironmental problems and social factors have harmful health consequences especially in the poorer regions of the world Environmental problems :World Health Organization (WHO) : “Poor environmental quality is directly responsible for 25% of all preventable ill-health in the world today, with diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections heading the list”.
