As two of the rarest metals on Earth, gold and silver have amazed humans for centuries. People have searched the world for silver and gold, hoping to fill their pockets with the shiny metals. And yet during all of human history, only enough gold has been extracted to fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools. And not every aspect of the metals is pretty. Mining gold and silver comes with many environmental consequences. The countries of North America...

Copper is one of the most plentiful and useful metals on Earth. Ancient warriors used it to forge weapons with deadly blades, and shipbuilders used it to cover the bottoms of boats. Today, you can find copper in the kitchen and in computers, too. Copper is mixed with other metals to create alloys like brass to make instruments such as the trumpet. It is even in our blood! The countries of North America have always had plentiful natural resources....

Natural gas is an amazing source of energy and one of the cleaner forms of fossil fuels, meaning that it produces less pollution than other forms. Does your barbecue grill at home use a propane tank rather than charcoal? Does your stove cook with blue flames? These are forms of natural gas. However, natural gas still contributes to climate change, and fracking, a method of extracting natural gas from the ground, is highly controversial. The countries...

Most of our energy comes from fossil fuels, but eventually we will run out. We will not, however, run out of sunshine or wind or waves. The center of the Earth will always be extremely hot, and fuels like switchgrass and algae can easily be regrown. These types of renewable energy-solar, wind, water, geothermal, and biomass-have the potential to power a cleaner future. The countries of North America have always had plentiful natural resources. But...

Uranium is a powerful resource, but it is also a mixed blessing. Uranium can light a town or power a submarine, but it can also destroy a city. Areas around a nuclear power plant, which uses uranium to create its energy, can become dead zones if the nuclear reaction becomes unstable. And yet nuclear power can also be one of the cleanest sources of energy. The countries of North America have always had plentiful natural resources. But the exploitation...

We depend on oil for heat, light, and transportation. But did you know that plastics are made from oil? How about nail polish? Formed over millions of years from the remains of ancient life forms, oil and its by-products are huge parts of our daily lives. However, as a fossil fuel, oil creates pollution and contributes to the growing problem of climate change. The countries of North America have always had plentiful natural resources. But the exploitation...