Post on 20-Jan-2018
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MINERAL RESOURCES
The Standard Of Living Equation
SL = standard of livingR = useful consumption of resources
(minerals, oil, water, air, etc.)E = useful consumption of energyI = ingenuityP = populationW = waste
The E Factor
• The Energy Available is Vast– Solar– Geothermal– Nuclear fission or fusion
The E Factor
• Fossil Fuels– The fuels we are most dependent upon, oil and
gas, are declining– All Energy Sources Will Become More
Expensive
The P Factor
• The equation indicates big trouble for rapidly growing populations
• Rapidly growing populations often want a materialistic life– This hope may be impossible to satisfy
The W Factor
• Half the energy used in the U.S. may be wasted– The U.S. Is the most wasteful of the 18
industrial nations
The W Factor
• Practice conservation to improve S. L.– Recycle metals, glass, and paper– Purchase for durability– Avoid fad purchases
The R Factor
• The Natural Occurrence of Minerals– Each ore body has finite limits
• Ores are <<1% of the crust• Ores are geological oddities
– Not all mineral deposits are ores• Adequate concentration• Demand• Transportation to market
The R Factor
• Minerals are Used in Every Aspect of Modern Life
The R Factor
• Doubling Rate of Mineral Consumption– The demand for minerals doubles in about 30
years– Sheet of paper example (1/254 inch thick)
• Double the thickness of that paper 35 times and it will stretch from LA to New York
• 42 times and it reaches the moon• 50 times and it reaches the sun
The R Factor
• Demand for Minerals– Demand for all minerals is increasing
faster than the population– Demand is derived from the chemical and
manufacturing industries plus agriculture
The R Factor
– Future demand is a function of culture and population
• 2 factors which will strain mineral resources for the next 100 years
– Small increases in demand per capita in rapidly growing populations
– Large increases in per capita demand in static populations
The R Factor
• Wars for Minerals– Affluence has been localized in space and time– Uneven distribution of minerals and energy has led
to wars• Syrians and Arabs fought the first war for hydrocarbons in
312 B.C.• WWI & WWII: Germany invades Austria, France and
Poland for coal• WWII: Japan invades SE Asia for oil and China for coal
and minerals• Iraq invades Kuwait August 2, 1990
The R Factor
• Geography of Mineral Production– Of all the developed countries, only Russia has
adequate resources for current demands– The most accessible, high grade deposits are the
first to be mined• These are already gone from the US, Britain, and
Europe• These countries must import R & E from other
countries
The R Factor
– Many valuable ores are in politically unstable or communist countries
• Chromium - South Africa, Russia• Mn - South Africa, Zaire• Al - tropical countries
The R Factor
– The country which controls R & E is usually the world's most powerful
• U.K. during the 19th century was the foremost producer of Pb, Cu, Sn, Fe, & coal
• They were the wealthiest and most powerful nation
The I Factor
• With Regard to Energy . . .– No vast energy sources are foreseen that will
make mining any cheaper– Energy will remain expensive
The I Factor
• With Regard to Extraction Costs . . . – Widespread belief that technology is
continually lowering unit costs while allowing us to work ever lower grade deposits is false
• Mining technology is barely keeping pace
The I Factor
• Synthetics– Synthetics will relieve very little stress on ore
deposits• Most metals and such things as He, Hg, U, and Th
can't be synthesized
The I Factor
• Technology for extracting metals from common rock is far off– Enormous, unusable waste– Energy intensive
The EquationFor The U.S.• R & E
– Imports are maintaining R & E at a high level– Recycling and alternate energy sources must be
developed
The EquationFor The U.S.• I
– I is enormous for the U.S.• Space shuttle, computers, communications,
agriculture, recombinant DNA– This may be the biggest factor in maintaining
SL in the future
The EquationFor The U.S.• P & W
– P is stabilizing and W is declining
The EquationAnd UDC's• R & E
– R & E are being exported to DC's• This temporarily increases SL• R & E are “quick assets” and their loss will
ultimately reduce SL• Enormous resentment will arise
The EquationAnd UDC's• P is growing rapidly in UDC's
– Greatly reduces SL– Year 2000 population
UDC 4.9 billionDC 1.3 billion
• World Wealth– The equation demands that the disparity of
world wealth increase
The Future OfOur Resources• R
– 3 types of future sources of ore• Presently noncommercial deposits• Technical innovation• Affordable transportation• Price increase
– Newly discovered deposits– Urban ore – recycling
The Future OfOur Resources• E
– New energy sources must be developed to make mineral extraction possible
The Future OfOur Resources• I
– We must recognize that the inevitable loss of nonrenewable resources will end the industrial age
• The new solar age will be very different from the industrial age
– Reduced consumption– Declining population
• We must ease the transition by preparing now
The Future OfOur Resources• I (continued)
– Ores must be recovered from:• Remote areas• Seafloor• Outer space
The Future OfOur Resources• I (continued)
– Technical innovation and new discoveries must develop our reserves at an exponential rate until:
• Population stabilizes• Constant or decreasing demand per capita is
achieved
The Future OfOur Resources• I (continued)
– Exploration, applying advanced technology, must be employed
– Extraction techniques must be improved so as to recover ores from ever lower grade deposits
The Future OfOur Resources• W
– W must be reduced by recycling and conservation in production and use
The Future OfOur Resources• Imports will continue to provide a large part
of the US needs