Our natural environment serves many functions, many of which are essential for our survival. Geographers often use the “Four S’s” as a way of describing the main functions of our environments. They are:
Source: This refers to the natural resources which have originated directly from the biophysical environment. Examples include water, soil, timber, fish stocks, minerals and fossil fuels. These resources are essential for our survival.
They can be classified as either renewable (able to be replenished in a relatively short period of time. Eg- timber) or non- renewable resources (unable to be replenished in a human lifetime and only in geologic time scales. Eg- Fossil fuels).
A third category is also sometimes used to describe the types of resources that are in no danger of being used in excess of their long term availability. These are called perpetual resources. Examples include solar energy, tides and winds. As humans look towards alternative energy supplies, the use of perpetual resources is increasing.
Sink: The safe absorption of the wastes and pollution produced by human activities and life is referred to as the earth’s sink function. In our lives, we depend on our natural environments to break down, recycle or safely store the wastes that we generate in our daily lives. This might include rubbish, emissions from machinery, effluent or industrial waste.
We have a big impact on our natural environment and this has resulted in significant effects on our natural environments. Individually, we can work to reduce the negative impact on our local environment when involved in outdoor recreation by following some simple guidelines.
Service: This refers to the provision of natural services that support life without any human interaction. Examples of this can include photosynthesis to create oxygen, the water cycle to provide fresh water and the earth’s natural greenhouse effect to regulate our climate.
Through our actions and behaviours, we as humans can have a very negative impact on these natural systems that provide these essential services. Being aware of our actions can minimise our effect.
Spiritual: Throughout history, exposure to our natural environment has evoked a spirituality or set of beliefs based on the environment around them. This includes beliefs based on the land, sea or sky. Examples include
Earth’s spiritual function Earth’s intrinsic recreational, psychological, aesthetic and spiritual value of environments is referred to as its spiritual function. The extent of this function will vary depending on the culture, beliefs and values of the people who use the land and sea. For example, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have very strong spiritual links to the land based on their beliefs of the Dreamtime. Hindus in India believe the Ganges River to be of spiritual significance. However, spiritual does not only refer to a religious context. It is also about emotions, psychological attachment and aesthetic feelings about places. If you have ever marvelled at the sight of a rainbow, been moved by a sunset or the view from a headland, you have experienced the spiritual function of the environment. Dorothea Mackellar’s well-known poem ‘My country’ provides an excellent illustration of earth’s spiritual function.