Why can we run out of mineral commodities, even though they are non-renewable?
In the short term, we will not run out of mineral commodities because there is just simply enough for everyone, and technology will make their use less intensive (see a quote from Sir Arvi Parbo, http://www.atse.org.au/index.php?sectionid=621 : The Earth is finite and the mineral resources in the Earth’s crust are therefore also ultimately finite. But this does not mean that these resources cannot meet humankind’s needs indefinitely … for all practical purposes, mineral resources are ‘infinitely finite’.) In the VERY long term, minerals that were used will just turn back into ore deposits, according to Q&A of Prof. John McCarthy at http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/ : Q. Will we run out of minerals? A. No. There is plenty of every element in major use. It is a question of the economic concepts of reserves and resources. Iron o
