[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 74 (Tuesday, June 14, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
        ALASKAN ESSAY WINNERS SHOW CONCERN FOR NATURAL RESOURCES

                                 ______


                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 14, 1994

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, the Resource Development Council, 
located in Anchorage, AK, is a membership organization comprised of 
individuals, communities, groups, and businesses interested in the 
sound use of our natural resources. RDC is dedicated to allowing 
Alaskans from all walks of life to come together to work for the common 
cause of sensible and progressive resource development.
  For the past 3 years, RDC has sponsored a statewide essay contest for 
students on topics related to resource development. Recently, I had the 
honor of presenting awards to this year's winners: Miss Shannon 
Siemens, a sixth grader at Kodiak Junior High School; and Miss Sharlene 
Chang, a student at Diamond High School in Anchorage. These two 
exceptional young ladies had their essays chosen from over 70 entries
  As a former teacher, I am proud to see such hard work and interest in 
the future that was exhibited by all of the young Alaskans who 
participated in the essay contest. In order to share the winning 
entries with the Members of the House, I submit the essays to be 
printed in the Record.

      What Is the Essential Role of Natural Resources in Society?

                           By Shannon Siemens

       The essential role of natural resources in society is to 
     supply humans with everyday materials that he needs to 
     survive and use. I will tell about the necessity of each of 
     these natural resources.
       Sunshine is the most valuable resource of all. We need it 
     to keep healthy and warm. It gives us Vitamin C. Since moving 
     to Kodiak, there is not much sunlight, and I have been sicker 
     more often because of the lack of Vitamin C. Also, to see, 
     you need light from the sun.
       Water is another important resource. We need it, as do 
     plants and animals, so we do not become dehydrated. About 75 
     percent of our body is made up of water. We are supposed to 
     drink at least eight glasses of water a day. We clean 
     ourselves with it in the bathtub or shower. Our teeth are 
     brushed with sink water. We flush remains in toilet water. In 
     the kitchen, it is used in preparing food, such as cakes. 
     Dishes and clothes are cleaned in water, too. It is also 
     needed to put fires out.
       Electricity is produced from hydro-electric plants that use 
     water. Where this natural resource is found, many plants 
     exist. This water is kept in dams, with waterfalls nearby.
       Gas is another necessary natural resource. Air is the most 
     common gas. It is made up of mostly two gases--oxygen and 
     nitrogen. The nitrogen is not needed, but oxygen is vital for 
     our survival. If there were no air, there would be no oxygen, 
     and we would die in a few minutes. Other less important gases 
     are ammonia and chlorine for cleaning, and methane for 
     cooking food and heating homes.
       Oil is a rich natural resource. It gives us 90 percent of 
     the energy we use in modern life. Without oil much of our 
     present way of life could not exist. It is used to make 
     gasoline, diesel oil and jet fuel. My dad burns 769 gallons 
     of fuel per hour flying his C-130 plane. Synthetic fibers 
     from oil are used to make clothing. Asphalt, wax and 
     lubricants are all oil products.
       Plants are a crucial natural resource. We breathe in 
     oxygen, and breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants take in carbon 
     dioxide, transform it into oxygen and the cycle repeats 
     itself. Plants are the only living thing that can produce 
     food. They receive energy from the sun to make starches, 
     sugars, fats and proteins. Sometimes we eat the stem, seed or 
     fruit. We can even eat the flower, leaf or root. Cereal 
     grains such as wheat, corn, oats, rice, barley and rye are 
     important to our health. They come from sources in plants. 
     Years ago, the pioneers discovered every food plant. But 
     today, man has improved them by selection and crossbreeding.
       Many necessary materials also come from plants. Some of 
     these include rope, wood and cotton. People need to shelter 
     themselves, make clothes to keep warm, and make life more 
     comfortable. Plant materials can do all this.
       Some medicines are produced from plants. Others come 
     directly from the natural chemicals found in plants. The 
     opium poppy plant is used to make morphine as a pain killer. 
     This was offered to my mother after cancer surgery. Cortisone 
     is used to help people who are crippled with arthritis, like 
     my grandpa. It comes from a Mexican yam and an African plant 
     called strophanthus. Cocaine comes from the coca plant in 
     South America. It's used as a natural resource in medicine.
       Many people don't think of animals as a natural resource, 
     but in fact, they are. Coral are beautiful animals commonly 
     found in reefs. Coral is important as a home for many fish. 
     If all the coral is gone, then so is their home. Another sea 
     animal is the anemone. This animal also dwells in the coral 
     reefs. It shares a symbiotic relationship with the clownfish. 
     They are hurtful to anything except for the clownfish. This 
     fish cleans out the anemone's tentacles and the anemone finds 
     food for the clownfish. A sponge is a simple animal. It is 
     also a natural resource. When I lived in Florida, I visited 
     the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs, where natural sponges 
     were brought up from the reefs and sold. It can reproduce 
     like the starfish and can be used as a ``cleaning cloth'' 
     because it can hold water well. Game animals and fish are 
     also necessary for man's survival. However, man needs to be 
     cautious! For example, the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, 
     Canada are no longer so ``grand'' for fishing. Fishermen 
     there are paid over $300 a month (by the government) NOT to 
     fish. This ``freeze'' will last until May 1994.
       Minerals exist everywhere. These raw materials include 
     gold, silver, copper, iron, zinc, lead and tungsten. Most are 
     used for money. You can receive supplies from other countries 
     that your country doesn't produce. They are in demand for 
     making products to sell and trade with other countries.
       Some non-metallic minerals are gravel, cement, salt and 
     sand. Man uses them in a variety of industries. For example, 
     the Morton Salt Plant in Great Inagua, Bahamas produces salt 
     for use on food, icy roads, medicine and for making roads. 
     Liquid sodium from salt is used as a cooking agent in nuclear 
     power plants. Salt is even used to soften water and give to 
     animals.
       In Columbia, South America there's a ``salt cathedral'' in 
     Zipaquira. This church is built in a salt mine, and is 
     entirely made out of salt. The central altar is a block of 
     salt weighing 18 tons! Did you even imagine that salt could 
     make something so interesting?
       Rocks are another natural resource. You can build with 
     rocks, for example, limestone. Years ago, huge limestone 
     ``wheels'' were carried around on sticks in Yap. They were 
     used for money and trading. When he visited Yap in the South 
     Pacific, my dad photographed these wheels. They are now used 
     for village property and have ceremonial value. Some of the 
     Lesser Antillies in the West Indies are made completely out 
     of limestone and volcanic rock. The ground itself is a 
     natural resource! The hardest of rocks, diamonds are commonly 
     used in jewelry, and very expensive. These are probably the 
     two most important examples of rocks.
       Natural resources are needed by you, me and the whole 
     world. As individuals and as a nation, we all have basic 
     needs--to breathe, eat, have shelter, stay healthy and be 
     happy--to survive!
                                  ____


               Natural Resources: Society's Driving Force

                          (By Sharlene Chang)

       Natural Resources. When one things of natural resources, 
     they think of precious oil, gas and coal, among many other 
     things as well. Society is fueled by natural resources. They 
     are what propels us through the twentieth century, and leads 
     us into the twenty-first.
       As our knowledge of natural resources grows, society grows 
     along with it. Society has come to depend greatly on natural 
     resources. Looking around, one can see the effects of natural 
     resources on our every day lives. The heat in our homes and 
     the fuel for our cars are supplied by our advanced technology 
     and our extensive knowledge of natural resources.
       The natural resources industry supplies many people with 
     jobs and incomes for themselves and their families. Even 
     people that are not employed by the natural resources 
     industry can feel its effects. With the money that the 
     industry's millions of employees earn, they buy other goods 
     and services to provide for their well-being. In this way, 
     natural resources affect not only the person as an 
     individual, but society as a whole.
       The essential role of natural resources is to provide the 
     American society with their incredibly high standard of 
     living. Little do many Americans realize the comfort and 
     luxury that is provided to them, due to the utilization of 
     our many natural resources. Central heating, gasoline, 
     grocery store shelves stacked with different foods and 
     electricity are all examples of the products of natural 
     resources. Many other nations are lacking in these things 
     that we take for granted every day.
       We are blessed because America is bountiful in natural 
     resources. A wide variety of resources come from all regions 
     of the United States, from coast to coast. Factories that 
     convert these raw resources into consumable products provide 
     high paying jobs to many Americans, so that we can afford 
     further luxuries.
       With every passing day, our natural resource technology 
     increases. This means many things. We can produce more 
     efficiently. We can find better uses for our resources, that 
     may be more economical and environmentally-safe. Continual 
     research and technological development is necessary in order 
     to provide for an ever-changing society such as ours.
       Natural Resources: the driving power behind society.

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