Sustainable resource extraction
Encyclopedia
Describing the use of materials available in nature
in a way that does not affect its balance. Usually however, sustainability
is based on some kind of cost-benefit analysis
, where one has to accept some damage (or human caused unbalance) to the ecosystem. Sustainability
is the main concept that includes also the use and disposal of materials i.e. the life-cycle, whereas extraction refers mainly to the process of actual harvest.
In resource extraction, sustainability is often achieved when the possible damages of it are minimized and the future of the ecosystem is ensured. One example of sustainable resource extraction is forestry
, when it tries to imitate nature's own processes and plant or seed the new forest
.
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
in a way that does not affect its balance. Usually however, sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
is based on some kind of cost-benefit analysis
Cost-benefit analysis
Cost–benefit analysis , sometimes called benefit–cost analysis , is a systematic process for calculating and comparing benefits and costs of a project for two purposes: to determine if it is a sound investment , to see how it compares with alternate projects...
, where one has to accept some damage (or human caused unbalance) to the ecosystem. Sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
is the main concept that includes also the use and disposal of materials i.e. the life-cycle, whereas extraction refers mainly to the process of actual harvest.
In resource extraction, sustainability is often achieved when the possible damages of it are minimized and the future of the ecosystem is ensured. One example of sustainable resource extraction is forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, when it tries to imitate nature's own processes and plant or seed the new forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
.