Using the Earth's resources and sustainable development — AQA GCSE Chemistry
Test yourself on Using the Earth's resources and sustainable development with AQA GCSE practice questions.
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Using the Earth's resources and sustainable development explained
This statement distinguishes natural resources from agricultural products and shows how both supply food, timber, clothing and fuels.
Read the full explanation
Natural resources include fish, wild game, wood from forests, cotton, wool, crude oil and natural gas. Agriculture supplements these by farming crops, rearing livestock, and growing cotton or flax. Food comes from both fishing and farming; timber comes from managed forests; clothing uses cotton, wool and synthetic fibres; fuels include wood, biodiesel and fossil fuels. For each category, name a natural source and an agricultural source, and explain why agriculture is needed as demand grows. A concrete example is cotton, a natural plant fibre, supplemented by farmed cotton crops for textile production.
Your focus
- Identify natural and agricultural sources for food, timber, clothing and fuels.
- Explain why agriculture supplements natural resources.
- Give a named example for each resource category.
Using the Earth's resources and sustainable development exam tips
Marking Points
- Food is provided by natural resources such as fish and wild game, supplemented by agricultural crops and livestock.
- Timber is obtained from natural forests and from managed plantations grown through agriculture or forestry.
- Clothing uses natural fibres such as cotton and wool, supplemented by agricultural production of cotton and flax.
- Fuels include wood, crude oil and natural gas, supplemented by agricultural biofuels such as biodiesel.
- Agriculture supplements natural resources because natural supplies alone cannot meet growing human demand.
Examiner Tips
- 💡For each category, give one natural and one agricultural example to show the supplement relationship.
- 💡Use precise terms such as natural fibre, biofuel and managed forest.
- 💡Check that the example matches the category, because food, timber, clothing and fuels are distinct.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing natural resources with agricultural products; the correction is that agriculture is a human-managed supplement to naturally occurring resources.
- Stating that cotton is synthetic; the correction is that cotton is a natural plant fibre, while polyester is synthetic.
- Forgetting that fuels can be agricultural; the correction is that biodiesel and bioethanol are produced from crops.