Economic activities and natural resources

Economic activities

Economic activities are what people do to earn a living

There are three groups of economic activities:

• Primary economic activities

  • Jobs which involve working directly with the Earth’s rocks, soils and waters

  • Example: Farmers, Fisher, Forestry worker and Miner

• Secondary economic activities

  • Jobs which involve making or manufacturing something

  • Example: Carpenter, Factory worker, Baker and Builder

• Tertiary economic activities

  • Jobs which involve a service that is useful to people

  • Example: Teacher, Garda, Solicitor and Shopkeeper

Natural resources

Natural resources are in things in the natural world which are useful to people

There are two types of natural resources:

Renewable resources

• Can be used over and over again

• If looked after in a sustainable way they will never run out

• Also called infinite sources

• Example: Water

Non-Renewable resources

• Can only be used $once</p></li><li class="drag"><p>$Will eventually $run out</p></li><li class="drag"><p>$Also called finite sources

• Example: Oil

The use of natural resources is called exploitation. If they are over-exploited they might not be available in the future. Over-exploitation is unsustainable.

Water: a renewable

Potable water: water that is safe for people and animals to drink

The water cycle

Water is continuously recycled making it a renewable resource. This recycling is called the water cycle. There are 4 main stages:

1. Evaporation

   • Occurs when the sun heats up water in lakes, rivers and seas and turns it into $water vapour</p></li></ul></li><li class="drag"><p>$Condensation

     • The vapour rises into the air. As the air rises it cools and condenses to form clouds. The wind blows the clouds toward land.

   • Precipitation

     • This occurs when so much water has condensed that the air can’t hold it anymore. The clouds get heavy and the water falls back onto the Earth in the form of rain, hail, dew, sleet or $snow</p></li></ul></li><li class="drag"><p>$Run-off

       • This water may go back into the seas, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land. When it falls on the land it will either soak into the soil or become part of the groundwater that plants and animals drink or it may run off into the seas, lakes or rivers so the cycle starts again

Water in Ireland

Irish Water is responsible for the public water supply in Ireland.

Sustainable water exploitation in Ireland

Water is a very important natural resource, so its very important to exploit it sustainably so there’s enough for the future generations

Local water supply example: $Limerick City</p><h2><span class="heading-content">$Water and the sustainable development goals

In 2015 world leaders agreed to work together to make sure that people around the world can live better without damaging the planet. Countries will work together to achieve the Global Goals for Sustainable Development between 2015 and 2030

Irrigation

Some parts of the world experience shortages of rainfall and drought. They use irrigation, the artificial water of the land.

Example: $Central Valley, California</p><h1><span class="heading-content">Fishing in Ireland</span></h1><h2><span class="heading-content">History of fishing in Ireland</span></h2><p>Ireland’s waters have great conditions for fishing as Ireland is located next to the <mark data-color="yellow">continental shelf</mark> which means there are <mark data-color="yellow">shallow</mark> waters as well as the fact that there is a lot of <mark data-color="yellow">plankton</mark>, <mark data-color="yellow">small fish</mark> and <mark data-color="yellow">micro organisms</mark> that <mark data-color="yellow">fish</mark> and <mark data-color="yellow">whales</mark> feed on.</p><p>Ireland has many <mark data-color="yellow">fishing ports</mark>. Fishing is a very important source of <mark data-color="yellow">income</mark> and <mark data-color="yellow">employment</mark> for many villages and towns.</p><h2><span class="heading-content">Over-fishing</span></h2><p>Fish are a <mark data-color="yellow">natural resource</mark>. When fish are over exploited it’s called <mark data-color="yellow">over-fishing</mark>, fish are taken from waters <mark data-color="yellow">faster</mark> than they can <mark data-color="yellow">reproduce</mark>.</p><h3><span class="heading-content">Reasons for over</span></h3><ul><li class="drag"><p>$Membership of the EU

• $When Ireland joined the EU they gave up <mark data-color="yellow">control</mark> over their waters. <mark data-color="yellow">Foreign trawler</mark> could now fish in <mark data-color="yellow">Irish water</mark>. This led to more fish being caught.</p></li></ul></li><li class="drag"><p>$Modern technology

  • $Improvement in technology such as <mark data-color="yellow">sonars</mark> and <mark data-color="yellow">radars</mark> means more fish can be <mark data-color="yellow">caught</mark> <mark data-color="yellow">quicker</mark> and <mark data-color="yellow">easier</mark>.</p></li><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="yellow">Increase</mark> of <mark data-color="yellow">trawler size</mark> means they can hold <mark data-color="yellow">more fish</mark> and stay out at sea$longer

  • $<mark data-color="yellow">Factory ships</mark> can <mark data-color="yellow">process</mark> fish meaning they can stay out at sea really really long</p></li></ul></li><li class="drag"><p>$Mesh sizes

    • $<mark data-color="yellow">Small mesh sizes</mark> led to <mark data-color="yellow">small</mark> and <mark data-color="yellow">underdeveloped</mark> fish being caught. Which means fish were not were not able to <mark data-color="yellow">replace</mark> their stocks</p></li></ul></li><li class="drag"><p>$Seasons

      • $As there was no closed season for fishing, fish could be caught all year round, so fish had no time to replace their stocks</p></li></ul></li><li class="drag"><p>$Quotas

        • $Lack of quotas meant that there was <mark data-color="yellow">no limit</mark> to the amount of fish that could be caught</p></li></ul></li></ul><h2><span class="heading-content">Sustainable exploitation of fish</span></h2><p>Many types of fish are endangered because of over-fishing, such as:</p><ul><li class="drag"><p>$Cod

        • $$Herring

        • $$Haddock

        $So the <mark data-color="yellow">Government</mark> and <mark data-color="yellow">EU</mark> put a <mark data-color="yellow">limit</mark> to the amount of fish that could be caught. More steps were put in place to, such as:</p><ul><li class="drag"><p>$Conservation zones

        • $In 2003 a <mark data-color="yellow">conservation box</mark> was created outside Ireland south-west coast. Fishing in this area is <mark data-color="yellow">restricted</mark> and <mark data-color="yellow">strict quotas</mark> have been put in place to help fish stocks <mark data-color="yellow">recover</mark>. It’s about <mark data-color="yellow">100,000km2</mark>.</p></li></ul></li><li class="drag"><p>Introduction of yearly</p></li><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="yellow">Shortening</mark> of fishing$seasons

        • $<mark data-color="yellow">Ban</mark> on catching$endangered species

        • $<mark data-color="yellow">Increase</mark> in$mesh size

        $Farming</span></h1><p>Farming is an example of an important <mark data-color="yellow">primary economic activity</mark>. It provides <mark data-color="yellow">food supply</mark> and <mark data-color="yellow">employment</mark>.</p><p>5.7$agri-food products

        $Farms run on as a system of <mark data-color="yellow">inputs</mark>, <mark data-color="yellow">processes</mark> and <mark data-color="yellow">outputs</mark>:</p><ul><li class="drag"><p>$Inputs

        • $Things that need to be put into a farm</p></li><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="red">Examples</mark>: Machinery, animals and money</p></li></ul></li><li class="drag"><p>$Processes

          • $Tasks done by the farmer on their farm</p></li><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="red">Examples</mark>: Milking, ploughing and cutting silage</p></li></ul></li><li class="drag"><p>$Outputs

            • $Products that the farmer sell</p></li><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="red">Examples</mark>: Milk, vegetables and livestock</p></li></ul></li></ul><h2><span class="heading-content">Types of farms</span></h2><ul><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="yellow">Dairy</mark>: Cows for butter, milk, cheese, ect.</p></li><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="yellow">Arable/tillage</mark>: Maize, wheat, barley, ect.</p></li><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="yellow">Horticulture</mark>: Vegetables, flowers, flowers, fruits, salad</p></li><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="yellow">Pastoral</mark>: grazing sheep or cattle</p></li><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="yellow">Livestock</mark>: cattle, sheep, pigs, horse</p></li><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="yellow">Mixed</mark>: livestock, crops, vegetables</p></li></ul><h2><span class="heading-content">Impact on the environment</span></h2><p>Farming is <mark data-color="yellow">essential</mark> but can result in <mark data-color="yellow">damage</mark> to the$environment

              • $<mark data-color="yellow">Insect</mark> sprays can end up in food and kill of too many insects</p></li><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="yellow">Fertilisers</mark> can run-off into streams and rivers</p></li><li class="drag"><p>The <mark data-color="yellow">illegal dumping</mark> of silage, slurry and milk can pollute rivers and kill fish</p></li></ul><h2><span class="heading-content">Sustainable agriculture</span></h2><p>Ireland is a member of the Eu’s Common Agriculture Policy (CAP). The main aims of the CAP are:</p><ol><li class="drag"><p>Provide income to farmers</p></li><li class="drag"><p>Ensure guaranteed market prices in the EU</p></li><li class="drag"><p>Provide rural development programmes</p></li><li class="drag"><p>Supply the Europe with quality</p></li></ol><p>In 2013 the CAP decided to focus on ‘Greening’. Farmers are rewarded for being more sustainable.</p><ol><li class="drag"><p>Diversifying crops</p></li><li class="drag"><p>Farmers must keep permanent grassland</p></li><li class="drag"><p>Farmers must protect water sources on land</p></li></ol><h1><span class="heading-content">Forestry</span></h1><p>The forestry industry employs 12,000 people. Wood is an important natural resource.</p><h2><span class="heading-content">Types of Irish forest</span></h2><h3><span class="heading-content">Deciduous</span></h3><p>Consists of trees that lose their leaves in winter:</p><ul><li class="drag"><p>Beech</p></li><li class="drag"><p>Birch</p></li><li class="drag"><p>Oak</p></li><li class="drag"><p>Ash</p></li><li class="drag"><p>Ect.</p></li></ul><h3><span class="heading-content">Coniferous</span></h3><p>Consists of evergreen trees:</p><ul><li class="drag"><p>Spruce</p></li><li class="drag"><p>Pine</p></li><li class="drag"><p>Ect.</p></li></ul><h2><span class="heading-content">Ireland forest</span></h2><p>Ireland has the lowest forest cover of all European countries:</p><ul><li class="drag"><p><mark data-color="yellow">10.7$absorb Co²

                • Green house gas => global warming

              • $Trees$release O²

              • $$More trees less Co²

              Reforestation in Ireland

              Some places in Ireland are unsuitable for agriculture, so they are used for forestry

              Coillte is a semi-state body and offers grants for farmers to plant more trees