Resources
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Resources are things that people use to do things, to make things and to develop.
There are many kinds of resources: physical, mental, human and financial. The ones
you use to do your work at university are academic resources, as you heard in the
lecture. The natural resources that your country uses to develop are wood and fish
and minerals. The ones that banks use to grow rich are stocks and bonds and fees.
Other resources are more personal - your health and your attitude and your strength.
People who work for a company are the human resources -- they include every type
of worker, from cleaner to manager.
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Resources are important in many ways. They are available to use, but they should
not be wasted. They seem to be endless, but they are not: overfishing has caused a
serious loss of fish in the oceans. Cutting down all the trees has caused terrible
consequences for climate and wild animal populations. It seems that humans are not
very smart with resource management. And this is going to result in the loss of our
environment.
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How can man become more careful in using resources? Is it possible to change the
way we destroy the Earth? Will your grandchildren live in a world that is too hot,
without enough water or clean air? We need to think about how to use resources
effectively, without waste and without destruction. There are some steps that we
have to take if we want this world to survive.
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One step we all need to take is to reduce waste. Humans waste food, water, gas,
paper and most other things every day. Think about how you could reduce waste in
your life. Another step to take is to save energy. How many lights are on in empty
buildings at night? How many rooms are heated or cooled when no one is using
them? A third step is to use more environmentally friendly materials. Why is
styrofoam used so much to wrap food when other, safer materials exist? What
happens to the styrofoam that is thrown away after one use? A final step to try to
save your planet is to stop buying new things. Make your phone, your car and your
clothes last for a long time. What is more important? Having a future or having the
latest fashion?
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