Exhaustion of mineral resources

Depletion of mineral resources
Long-term shortage of mineral resources

Nature

Industrial development has placed increasing demand on the available mineral resources. These resources are non-renewable and methods of recycling tend to be inadequate.

Background

The global significance of mineral resource exhaustion emerged in the mid-20th century, as rapid industrialization and technological advances accelerated extraction rates. Landmark studies, such as the 1972 Club of Rome’s "Limits to Growth," highlighted the finite nature of key minerals and the risks of depletion. Since then, mounting evidence from geological surveys and international agencies has deepened concern, revealing uneven distribution, escalating demand, and the vulnerability of economies reliant on non-renewable mineral reserves.

Incidence

In particular, hydrocarbons and metalliferous ores are extracted without considering long range availability.

Claim

At present rates of consumption, minerals due to run out within 50 years are copper, lead, mercury, nickel, tin and zinc.

Counter-claim

The so-called "exhaustion of mineral resources" is vastly overstated and not a pressing concern. Human ingenuity consistently finds alternatives, recycles materials, and discovers new reserves. History shows that predictions of running out are repeatedly proven wrong. Technological progress and market adaptation ensure that resources remain available. Worrying about mineral exhaustion distracts from real, immediate issues facing society. This is simply not an important problem in today’s world.