Sharing Earth's Resources Learn to Use and Protect Nature Wisely

Some resources can be replaced over time these are called renewable resources. Trees, sunlight, wind, fresh water, and fish are all renewable resources. If you take care of them, they can grow back or be replenished.

Other resources cannot be replaced once they are used up these are called non-renewable resources. Oil and coal are non-renewable resources found deep underground in Canada. They took millions of years to form, so once they are gone, they are gone forever.

Canada has many important natural resources. Farmers on the prairies use rich soil to grow crops like wheat and canola. People across Canada drink fresh water from lakes and rivers. Trees from Canada's huge forests provide wood and paper. Oil fuels cars and trucks. Fish from oceans and lakes feed many communities.

Many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities have long shown deep respect for natural resources. First Nations peoples take only what they need from the land. Métis communities traditionally hunted bison and used every part of the animal. Inuit communities in the Arctic depend on animals like seals and caribou for food and clothing. You can learn from these traditions of caring for the Earth.

Canada also shares resources with neighbours. The Great Lakes, for example, provide fresh water for millions of people. When you learn about Human Effects on Nature, you will understand why protecting shared resources matters so much.

Sharing Earth's resources fairly means making sure all people and animals have enough to survive. When resources are not shared fairly, some communities do not have enough food, water, or shelter. You can help by using only what you need and not wasting resources.

When people use too much of a resource without replacing it, it can run out and disappear forever. This harms people, animals, and the environment. Learning about Making Good Choices helps you decide how to use resources wisely every day.

Conservation means protecting and carefully managing natural resources so they last for the future. You can conserve resources by using the Three Rs: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

• Reduce means using less of something so less is wasted. You can reduce by turning off lights when you leave a room.
• Reuse means using something again instead of throwing it out. You can reuse a water bottle every day instead of buying a new plastic one.
• Recycle means turning old materials into new useful things. You can recycle paper, glass, and metal at school and at home.

You can also conserve water by turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, and help forests by planting new trees to replace ones that were cut down.

Natural Resource: A natural resource is something found in nature that people use, like water, trees, soil, or sunlight. You use natural resources every day without even thinking about it!

Renewable Resource: A renewable resource is one that can be replaced or regrown over time, like trees, fish, sunlight, and fresh water. If you take care of renewable resources, they can keep coming back.

Non-Renewable Resource: A non-renewable resource cannot be replaced once it has all been used up. Oil and coal are non-renewable because they take millions of years to form underground.

Conservation: Conservation means protecting and carefully managing natural resources so they are available for the future. When you conserve resources, you help make sure there is enough for everyone.

Reduce: To reduce means to use less of something so less is wasted. For example, you reduce electricity use by turning off lights when you leave a room.

Reuse: To reuse means to use something again instead of throwing it out. Using a reusable water bottle every day is a great example of reusing.

Recycle: To recycle means to turn old materials into new useful things again. When you put paper and plastic in the recycling bin, those materials can become new products.

Soil: Soil is the top layer of the ground where plants grow. Rich soil, like the kind found on Canada's prairies, helps farmers grow food crops like wheat and canola.

Fresh Water: Fresh water is clean water found in lakes, rivers, and streams that people, plants, and animals need to survive. Canada has some of the largest supplies of fresh water in the world.

Boreal Forest: The boreal forest is one of the largest forests in the world, found across Canada. It provides clean air, wood, and homes for many animals.

Canadian Shield: The Canadian Shield is a large rocky region covering much of central and eastern Canada. It has many lakes, rivers, forests, and important minerals.

You can make a difference every day! At school, you can turn off lights when leaving a room, use both sides of paper, and put materials in the recycling bin. At home, you can turn off the tap while brushing your teeth and use a reusable water bottle.

You can also help by picking up litter in parks and near rivers to keep natural areas clean and safe for wildlife. Every small action you take helps protect Earth's resources for the future. Explore Protecting Our World to discover even more ways you can help.

Before learning about sharing Earth's resources, you may have already explored Caring for Our Surroundings, which taught you why it is important to look after the places where you live and play. You may also have learned about Community Resources, which showed you how communities depend on different resources to meet their needs.

These topics help you understand why sharing and protecting Earth's resources is so important for everyone.

This topic connects to many other important ideas you will explore. You already learned about Using Earth's Resources, which shows you the many ways people use natural resources every day. You also explored Protecting Our World, which teaches you how to keep Earth's resources safe and healthy.

Learning about Human Effects on Nature helps you understand how people's actions can change the environment. And when you study Making Good Choices, you will discover how the decisions you make every day affect Earth's resources.

As you continue learning, you will explore Resource Industries, which shows how businesses use natural resources to make products. You will also learn about Sustainable Development, which teaches how people can use resources without harming the Earth for future generations. Finally, Environmental Protection will show you the laws and actions people take to keep the environment safe.