Click on the picture of each resource (coal, potash, natural gas and oil) to take you to a website that will give you information.
This is an American site (from the USA) but has good information:
http://www.eia.gov/kids/index.cfm
Chapter 4 introduces students to the diverse geography of the Interior Plains
and the stories of its people. The activities invite students to explore the
connections to the region through a variety of activities.
The Interior Plains cover a vast area in the interior of North America stretching
from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. They were formed, in part, from
the sediment of an ancient sea, accounting for deposits of oil and gas.
Glaciation created gently rolling hills, divided by two escarpments, or sharp
increases in elevation. Melting glaciers created a large lake that later drained
away, leaving behind the rich soil that allows the region’s agriculture.
The region contains large lakes and long rivers that provided essential
transportation in the early days of exploration and settlement. Vegetation ranges
from grasslands in the south to boreal forest to taiga (sparsely vegetated plains)
as you proceed north. Weathering and erosion created the badlands in the
southwestern portion of the region.
The Interior Plains have a continental climate. The region is covered by cold
polar air in the winter, with warm, dry air in the summer. As a result, the
temperature varies greatly throughout the year. The Interior Plains are quite dry,
in the rain shadow of the Western Cordillera Mountains. The south-central area
is semi-desert, with sparse vegetation that includes cacti.
Natural resources help shape the identity of the people of the Interior Plains.
Oil and good agricultural land are the largest natural resources in this region. In
recent years, the exploitation of these resources has led to a number of issues.
One issue relates to water use. In the relatively dry climate, farmers of the
region require water for farming purposes. At the same time, the oil industry
uses vast quantities of water in conventional and oil sands resource extraction.
In the case of the oils sands, this water is returned to the environment as toxic
waste water, poisoning an environment already disturbed by the amount of land
involved. The exploitation of the oil sands also requires the use of natural gas
for heat, greatly increasing the emission of greenhouse gases. The environmental
degradation resulting from the exploitation of oil is very significant, and the
issue is becoming increasingly contentious.
and the stories of its people. The activities invite students to explore the
connections to the region through a variety of activities.
The Interior Plains cover a vast area in the interior of North America stretching
from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. They were formed, in part, from
the sediment of an ancient sea, accounting for deposits of oil and gas.
Glaciation created gently rolling hills, divided by two escarpments, or sharp
increases in elevation. Melting glaciers created a large lake that later drained
away, leaving behind the rich soil that allows the region’s agriculture.
The region contains large lakes and long rivers that provided essential
transportation in the early days of exploration and settlement. Vegetation ranges
from grasslands in the south to boreal forest to taiga (sparsely vegetated plains)
as you proceed north. Weathering and erosion created the badlands in the
southwestern portion of the region.
The Interior Plains have a continental climate. The region is covered by cold
polar air in the winter, with warm, dry air in the summer. As a result, the
temperature varies greatly throughout the year. The Interior Plains are quite dry,
in the rain shadow of the Western Cordillera Mountains. The south-central area
is semi-desert, with sparse vegetation that includes cacti.
Natural resources help shape the identity of the people of the Interior Plains.
Oil and good agricultural land are the largest natural resources in this region. In
recent years, the exploitation of these resources has led to a number of issues.
One issue relates to water use. In the relatively dry climate, farmers of the
region require water for farming purposes. At the same time, the oil industry
uses vast quantities of water in conventional and oil sands resource extraction.
In the case of the oils sands, this water is returned to the environment as toxic
waste water, poisoning an environment already disturbed by the amount of land
involved. The exploitation of the oil sands also requires the use of natural gas
for heat, greatly increasing the emission of greenhouse gases. The environmental
degradation resulting from the exploitation of oil is very significant, and the
issue is becoming increasingly contentious.