New to this Project? Start with Part ONE
Survival, initially, and the economy and even the survivability of your world will eventually be influenced by the natural resources of your world. As you will have seen from our own resources–and how we treat them–there are trends which seem natural, but which might be avoided.
How your population relates to the resources of your world may be affected by need or greed. If your people have escaped from a befouled world, and are intent on preventing similar disasters, they might be careful how they treat their world. If they come from a resource starved world, they could go on a veritable feeding frenzy.
However you have your people treat your new world, keep in mind that just deciding they will be ecologically aware from early days because that is different from the way we have treated our own world, keep in mind how our current state came about. In early days when the population of the world was light, the only real polluters were natural things like forest fires and volcanoes. Old habits die hard. Consider carefully if and how your people will come to a balance with their environment.
We must assume that all planets in the Universe (which can support life) have two kinds of resources. Renewable and Limited.
Are the limited resources of your world being held by the wealthy and powerful? Are the people of your new planet even aware of the extent of riches hidden there? How are these limited resources used? Can they be eaten? Are they good for building? How about for heating, making of weapons or even jewelry? Do these resources represent wealth?
How are the renewable resources used? Are there resources on the list that were initially considered a nuisance, but have since become a necessity? Again, are these resources used for food? For building? Fuel? Who controls them? Why, and how?
As your world can become a character, your resources can become a major player… even without sentience.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio... and isn't it time you experienced some of them?
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