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Mineral resources: Exhaustion is just a myth, say scientists
Recent articles have declared that deposits of mineral raw materials (Copper, zinc, etc.) will be exhausted within a few decades. An international team of scientists, however, has shown that this is incorrect and that the resources of most mineral commodities are sufficient to meet the growing demand from industrialization and future demographic changes. Future shortages will arise not from physical exhaustion of different metals but from causes related to industrial exploitation, the economy, and environmental or societal pressures on the use of mineral resources. Ref. Source 6h.
Yes, and this is true regarding a huge range of minerals and includes fossil fuels. As our ability to reach further into the Earth improves so does our ability to identify where more resources are hiding. I think we'll outstrip our, or Earth's, capacity to feed the masses or ability to rpovide fresh water for all of humanity's needs long before we run out of mineral resources.
True, but there's a difference between running out of Earth's copper supply, and running out of copper that is not fiendishly difficult to get at.
That's a part of why I'm such a strong proponent of an aggressive space program. Get the right infrastructure in place, and we could simply shut down most of our earthbound mining operations.