Raw Materials and Energy Sources: Production & Impact

Secondary Sector: Transforming Raw Materials

The secondary sector encompasses activities focused on transforming raw materials into products that fulfill human needs.

Industry: Definition and Requirements

Industry is the activity that transforms raw materials into manufactured products, suitable for direct consumption or as semi-finished goods. It requires:

• Raw materials
• Energy sources
• Production factors (capital, technology, and labor)

Mining: Extraction and Refining

Mining involves locating (prospecting), extracting (using various techniques), and refining rocks and minerals found beneath the Earth’s surface. This process separates the valuable mineral from the surrounding rock.

Energy Production: Powering Industry

Energy production transforms energy sources into heat and electricity, enabling industrial processes. This transformation occurs in specialized power stations or facilities, such as thermal, nuclear, and wind power plants.

Construction: Building Structures and Infrastructure

Construction creates structures (buildings) and infrastructure (roads, bridges, reservoirs). It requires detailed plans and building materials like steel and concrete.

Types of Raw Materials

Plant-Sourced Raw Materials

These materials are obtained from agriculture (e.g., sugar beets, cotton) and silviculture (e.g., wood, cellulose).

Animal-Sourced Raw Materials

These materials come from livestock farming (e.g., wool, hides, silk) and fishing (e.g., fish for canning and oil production).

Geological Raw Materials

These include:

• Metallic minerals (e.g., iron, lead, aluminum)
• Non-metallic minerals (e.g., glass, gems)
• Rocks (e.g., granite, clay, limestone, marble)
• Energy products (e.g., coal, crude oil, natural gas, uranium)

Key Resource Producers and Issues

CARBS Countries

CARBS (Canada, Australia, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa) are countries where a significant portion of global raw material production is concentrated. They control between 25% and 50% of the main natural resources.

Coltan: A Case Study

Coltan is an essential mineral for modern technology (cell phones, laptops, etc.). The Democratic Republic of Congo produces approximately 70% of the world’s coltan. This production has severe consequences:

• Slavery and child labor
• Millions of deaths
• Destruction of rainforests and species
• Abandonment of farms
• Contraband financing warmongering rebel groups

Problems Related to Raw Materials

Key issues include the scarcity of raw materials in the food industry, rising agricultural product prices due to high food demand, and the uneven distribution of geological raw materials, often leading to wealthier countries attempting to control the trade of producing nations.

Energy Sources: Traditional and Alternative

Traditional Energies

Traditional energy sources are the most widely used, and all are non-renewable except for hydroelectric power. Oil, natural gas, and coal provide 75-80% of the world’s energy.

Alternative Energies

Alternative energy sources have been developed as substitutes for traditional sources, primarily fossil fuels. Most are natural and less harmful to the environment.

Energy Problems

Major energy challenges include a constant rise in consumption due to overpopulation, the dominance of non-renewable sources, the unequal distribution of energy resources, and environmental problems caused by carbon dioxide emissions.

International Agreements on Climate Change

Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol is a UN international treaty that committed State Parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) to combat global warming. Adopted in 1997, its goal was to reduce collective emissions of greenhouse gases between 2005 and 2012 to a specified limit compared to 1990 levels.

COP21

COP21 is a post-Kyoto legal framework obligating all major polluters to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to keep the global temperature rise below 2ºC. Countries are committed to reviewing their contributions to this agreement every five years, starting in 2020.

Artisanal Industry: A Historical Perspective

Artisanal industry was the dominant form of industrial organization until the mid-18th century. Artisans performed industrial labor by hand, using traditional tools or low-power energy sources. They worked on one product from start to finish, making each item unique. Manufacturing occurred in small workshops, with different sectors grouped into guilds. There was no distinct industrial landscape.