21
T
he economy is a system. It involves transforming
products from nature into manufactured products,
and buying and selling products or services.
Rawmaterials are products such as fruit, cotton and natural
gas that we get from nature. We transform them into
di erent manufactured products. For example, wheat can
be made into our and then into bread. Miners extract rocks
and minerals from the ground. These rocks and minerals
can be used to build houses and o ce buildings. Forestry
workers cut down trees for wood. This wood can be made
into furniture.
Unfortunately, when we use natural resources, we o en
damage the environment. For example, sometimes people
cut down forests to plant crops. Mines can poison our water
supplies and change the habitats of plants and animals.
Many industrial activities pollute the air.
The Amazon rainforest is being destroyed so
people can grow crops and make furniture.
c
d
e
f
