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  • Essay / New Zealand's natural resources

    Table of contentsAgricultureForestryEffects of complete and incomplete combustionNew Zealand has produced minerals and coal since European settlement and current production includes oil, coal, silver and gold, iron sand and a range of rocks and minerals. for domestic use which are rudimentary to New Zealand's infrastructure and economy (production and road construction). Carbon dioxide is undoubtedly the largest contributor of greenhouse gases, as it persists in the atmosphere for many thousands of years, continuing to warm the temperature. Coal is the fossil fuel that emits the most carbon, so for the same amount of energy, coal will release more carbon dioxide. 200 years ago, New Zealand had neither the technology nor the need to mass produce coal, as it ultimately depended on population and demand. As New Zealand had around 2,000 people spread across New Zealand, coal and oil production was occurring, but at a sustainable and manageable rate. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayPeople living in 1818 did not need to power their cars, heat their homes, charge their phones, or traveling by plane, their environment was therefore confronted with the positive consequences of low greenhouse gas emissions. The lack of coal mining two centuries ago was partly due to the tools available at the time, because the technology we have today is modernized in such a way that we can reduce the time it takes to produce coal and increase the amount of coal produced. However, our consumerist nature has become normalized and we continue to use coal which not only contributes to global warming through the amount of CO2 produced, but also coal contains sulfur and other dangerous elements, such as arsenic, mercury and lead, which escape into the air when coal is burned, causing widespread health damage. We can see that as the population has evolved, so have our technology and resources, we have greater access to scientific knowledge and technologies that we can adapt to train other energy producers. However, we still benefit from our ability to use coal and oil as a form of energy which ultimately contributes to the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Until we go completely down the alternative energy route, we can expect the effects to get worse. AgricultureAccording to the United Nations, agriculture is responsible for 18% of total CO2 emissions. New Zealand is well known worldwide for its dairy industry and makes up the largest part of the trading economy, contributing approximately ⅔ of exported products. 200 years ago there was no active agricultural industry, although the Māori had established themselves in New Zealand as expert horticulturists. Their Polynesian ancestors who arrived between 700 and 800 AD had cleverly adapted tropical cultivars, such as kumara (from South America), yam and squash, to the temperate climate of New Zealand. 200 years ago there were thousands of hectares of land for growing gardens and early on the Māori were feeding the European settlers. The Māori hunted and the Europeans relied on them to bring produce to feed the first town. The Maori were horticulturalists because their only domestic animals were dogs, because when they came toNew Zealand, they could only bring what they could carry by canoe. They hunted and gardened, but had no livestock, so no greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. However, Māori cleared large areas of forest to encourage the growth of fern roots and to clear land for gardening, which contributed to CO2 emissions from fires set for this purpose. This is a big contrast to our country today because in 1818 there were few to no cows, so the concern of them contributing to climate change was non-existent. However, today there are over 10.6 million cows and 6.7 million of these cows are used in the dairy industry.ForestryBefore anyone inhabited New Zealand, 80% of the land was covered in dense forests. Today, only 24% of our country is made up of native forests. Forests are rich, tree-filled habitats and play a vital role in the carbon cycle because they are carbon sinks that remove atmospheric carbon dioxide, as explained previously. Forests are essential to our continued existence as humans and to the natural systems that support our needs. Forests reduce flooding and protect soils from erosion, while circulating water between the soil and the atmosphere to produce rain but also to produce oxygen that we can breathe. The contrast between the forests of today and those of 200 years ago is very different. Our vast jungles have transformed into concrete jungles, producing an abundance of fossil fuels. Initially, in 1818, Māori cleared forests to produce gardens and encourage the growth of fern roots, as well as to build houses for the growing Māori population. Additionally, when Europeans arrived, they cleared more land for cattle and sheep farming but also for timber. They wanted Kauri especially for houses and ship spars. Our population has grown significantly, so more space needed to be created to meet our needs. We have cut down trees to clear space for human growth, but in doing so we limit our ability to live well now and in the future. Complete combustion occurs when a large amount of oxygen is present and carbon dioxide and water are produced along with a lot of energy released as a result. In addition, complete combustion burns with an invisible flame, improves energy efficiency and has a practical advantage over incomplete combustion. Fuel + oxygen = ENERGY + carbon dioxide + water Unlike complete combustion, incomplete combustion occurs when a limited amount of oxygen is present and carbon, carbon monoxide and water are produced. Little energy is also released and incomplete combustion burns with a dirty yellow flame and black residue remains from the flame. Fuel + oxygen = ENERGY + carbon + carbon monoxide + waterEffects of complete and incomplete combustionCarbon dioxide is produced by complete combustion and is also a greenhouse gas that traps thermal energy on earth, causing a change climatic. This results in an increase in temperatures which causes changes in weather patterns and melting of ice caps, as well as a rise in ocean levels, causing islands to sink. Agriculture is also affected, including crop production on which many people rely for both income and food. It is also an acid gas which increases..