Exhausting the Earth's Resources? Not So Fast (Some Fearing Minerals Shortfall Look to Asteroids)

Wall Street Journal ^ | 06/05/2012 | By JOHN W. MILLER

[SeekAndFind]

Is the earth running out of minerals?

A recent and widely publicized proposal to mine asteroids for nickel, platinum and other key ingredients for metals is based in part on the notion that we face scarcity in the not-too-distant future.

How much is a matter of debate, as is the capacity of sonar, radar and drilling technology to find new resources—which may not match civilization's ever-growing appetite for metal-based products from replacement knee joints and oil pipes to catalytic converters and iPads.

Investors led by Google Inc. Chief Executive Larry Page and film director James Cameron in April launched Planetary Resources Inc., based in Bellevue, Wash., with a message that the Earth's resources could soon fail to meet the technological needs of a population spiraling toward 10 billion.

Caterpillar Inc., one of the world's largest makers of mining equipment, has already joined with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to design space-mining gear. "We looked at autonomous operations of equipment as being the same type of technology that could be used on the moon as well as in a mining application," said Michele Blubaugh, manager of Intelligence Technology Services at Caterpillar.

But firms that make their money mining this planet say the Earth is one big, practically inexhaustible mine, with just as many unexplored corners as outer space. "We think there are 10,000 more years of minerals left for civilization," said Andrew McKenzie, a geologist and BHP Billiton PLC's chief executive for nonferrous metals. "Civilization will change, of course, and there will be different minerals involved, but 10,000 more years."

Some minerals are more plentiful and some parts of the world more endowed. The world has plenty of potash—610 years worth, which ensures centuries more of fertilizer-making, and 590 years of known iron-ore reserves, according to U.S. Geological Survey estimates.

[SeekAndFind]

[SeekAndFind]

[driftdiver]

Can’t be true

[WorkingClassFilth]

All you’ll ever need to stick a finger in the eye of the Malthusian environuts in your life:

http://www.juliansimon.com/

[facedown]

[Strategerist]

I need to figure out how to sell asteroid mining short, because it’s an epically silly idea.

It’s ALWAYS going to be more cost-efficient to simply keep looking further on Earth.

[Inyo-Mono]

I watched an interesting program back in April with James Cameron talking about the remake of the film “Titantc.” I had to shut it off near the end though when he started blathering on and on about Global Warming.

[Inyo-Mono]

I watched an interesting program back in April with James Cameron talking about the remake of the film “Titantc.” I had to shut it off near the end though when he started blathering on and on about Global Warming.

[Inyo-Mono]

How did my post appear twice? I only clicked “Post” one time.

[Bon mots]

Mining asteroids on the moon would be a great idea as every asteroid that ever hit it for billions of years is still retreivable for the most part.

In fact, someone is up there mining right now!

Lunar Colony Collection

[danielmryan]

Red herring. Spend some time looking over the junior exploration sector and you'll find a whole slew of deposits that are minable but not economically feasible at present costs and prices. The cure for "depletion" is still high prices.

I'd be surprised if such was not the case for oil. As for natural gas, "resource depletion" is now risible. There's such a supply glut, producing wells are being shut-in.