Summary
World per capita consumption of fish has steadily been on the rise from 9.9kg in 42 years ago to 16.4kg 7 years ago. This trend is in accordance with food consumption in generally, as there has been an increase in the average global supply of calorie per individual proportional to the quantity of proteins per person. Despite this, there are a high proportion of undernourished people in some regions including sub Saharan Africa, Asia and the pacific. Consumption is highest in Asia, accounting for 66% while only 8.3kg per capita is recorded for Africa, being the lowest figure. In developing countries, the contribution of fish to total protein consumption is significant at 20%. It has remained stagnant in developed countries. Aquaculture is becoming a significant contributor to global fish production rising from 14% in 1986 to 47% in 2006. There is increasing call for transparency in traceability of the fish. Population and income growth, diversification and urbanization would create additional demand for fish. Fish contributes to food security in the world and is highly nutritious.
Energy Resources
Huge demands are placed on the world's natural energy base, but the one placed on Energy is the most far-reaching due to the fact that energy is used everyday to power man's civilization. The availability and price of energy commodities has experienced dramatic shifts in the last 40 years, fluctuating from time to time. Energy is present in many forms and used for various purposes. There also been a change in the type of fuel used in the past few centuries as a result of development of new fuels. Wood and coal were the hallmarks of the industrial revolution, as Oil was to the development of the internal combustion engine in the twentieth century. The energy need of the world has been increasing exponentially since the middle of the last century. The price and supply of crude oil has been subject to fluctuations as a result of regional conflicts in oil producing nations. Petroleum is the most important fuel in the world and it is being touted to run out very soon. Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the world but is touted as a dirty fuel because of its impact on the environment. Nuclear fuel is a self-replenishing fuel, which came into existence not long ago. Other renewable sources of energy include hydroelectric power, geothermal energy, wind energy, solar energy. The future of energy use involves the use of fossil fuel and nuclear energy.
Non-Fuel Materials.
Minerals are materials that come from the earth from solid rocks, the soil or other deposits. Non-fuel minerals include metal ores, phosphate rock, asbestos, salt, precious stones etc. they are traded internationally. They are found in deposits called reserves.
The distinction between reserves and resources are based on economic conditions, technology of extraction and use; and geologic information. The prices of minerals fluctuate based on the level of production in the economy and the forces of demand and supply. The percentage of the earth’s crust that is composed of minerals differs greatly. Hydrothermal activity is important in the formation of mineral deposits. Concentrated metal ores are usually found in metamorphic rocks. Sedimentary rocks also contain some elements. Weathering is also important in the formation of metal ores. Minerals are non-renewable resources because the amount available is finite. Shortage of minerals would stimulate substitution of other materials and increased recycling, resulting in reduced demand. Extraction of minerals from their ores puts a significant strain on the environment, depending on the purity of the ore. Socially, moreover, the fortunes of the area changes as soon as soon as production halts. Recycling is the process by which the mineral is recovered from consumer goods and reused in the manufacturing process.
Mining
Mine incidents are costly for companies. The industry has been under tremendous pressure to improve on its social and environmental performance. International initiatives have been set up in this line. However, at present there are no universal international standards governing the mining; oil and gas industry. There is a lot of information on the social and environmental impact of the oil and gas; and mining sector but till date, there is a limited number of case study cases. The impact of mining on ecosystems has also not been quantified. The study focused on hard rock mining majorly. The mining industry is a volatile and competitive industry. Trends have been changing with most companies having become international companies. Mining also does not always result in equitable distribution of wealth with a widening of the gap between the rich and the poor widening in countries where mining activities are carried out
