Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 16
An Appetite for
Resources
In This Chapter
Changing tastes and preferences
Making a culture — resource connection
Deciphering the geography of supply and demand
Looking at the advantages and disadvantages of different resources
P eople have an appetite for resources; and as their numbers grow, so does the cumulative thirst for
Earth's bounty. The global cornucopia is varied, however. Resources differ in their abundance and
longevity — meaning that some exist in finite supply while others are eternal. Geographical consider-
ations further complicate the picture. People in different parts of the world have different appetites for
different resources that typically are available in some regions but not others.
Supply and demand for Earth's resources is a geographically complex and fascinating story. The goal
of this chapter is to touch upon and familiarize you with some of the key concepts of resource geo-
graphy.
Energy resources serve as the focus of this chapter. This somewhat narrow perspective is certainly not
intended to denigrate the importance of other kinds of resources, all of which lend character to differ-
ent parts of the planet. Indeed, discussions of soil, fisheries, and forests appear in Chapters 7, 8, and
10 respectively. Likewise, much of Chapter 18 is devoted to consequences of resource utilization. For
now, the key thing to remember is that
resource
entails a great many things that range from specific
environmental items to the land itself. Energy resources, however, are of critical importance the world
over, and embody the key concepts and challenges common to most resources.
Defining Resources and Assessing Their Importance
