The Depletion of Non-Renewable Abiotic Resources - Thanatia: The Destiny of the Earth's Mineral Resources - page 3

Chapter1
The Depletion of Non-Renewable Abiotic
Resources
1.1 Introduction
This first introductory chapter describes past and future consumption trends of
raw-materials and discusses the linkages between minerals, energy and the environ-
ment. It then analyses the IEA scenarios concerning future energy demand and the
subsequent implications on raw-material use.
Furthermore, a set of examples are used to demonstrate how growth in demand
for those minerals said to be at the centre of sustainable technology development
may actually put at risk the very establishment of the Green Economy.
The chapter then goes on to provide a brief description of selected studies on
the criticality of raw materials, where the most significant ones for the EU and US
are identified.
Finally, a discussion on the implication of resource depletion is undertaken. It
clearly shows the need to urgently account for the mineral wealth on Earth and the
speed of its exhaustion.
1.2 The demand for minerals
Minerals, energy and environment are strongly dependent on each other and will be
even more so in the future. According to the International Energy Agency(IEA) 1 ,
between 8 and 10% of all global energy consumption, not counting transportation
or other activities such as manufacture or recycling, is dedicated to the extraction
and processing of those materials that society demands. There are no materials
without energy but equally no energy without materials. Given that demand for
energy has risen since the beginning of the 20th century it is not surprising that the
use of fossil fuels has grown exponentially as has the need for minerals (see Fig. 1.1
and Fig. 1.2).
Fossil fuels maintain the present state of civilisation: they heat and cool build-
ings and provide mobility and electricity, permitting interconnections and social
1 IEA: http : ==www:iea:org=. Accessed June, 2013.
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