An Introduction to "Sustainable Development" and the Finite Resource

What are resources? Resources include present reserves as well as deposits not yet discovered, and, deposits that have been identified but are not recoverable under present technological and economic conditions. Reserves are the quantities of a mineral then can reasonably be assumed to exist and are producible with existing technology under present economic conditions. Thus resources are all the quantities that are estimated to be ultimately available.

Task 2. Mineral Resource management Investigate the mining industry definitions, (as laid out in the "Australasian code for reporting of identified mineral resources and ore reserves"), for the following terms:- Mineral Resource, Indicated Resource, Mineral (Ore) Reserve, Probable Reserve, Proven Reserve, Measured Resource and Inferred Resource To what extent do these help or hinder in the argument between finite and infinite resource? Prepare an "abundance" report on a mineral of your choice with this discussion in mind.

Sustainable development may be defined as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". This is based on a tenet taken from ancient American Indian beliefs that no action should be carried out unless the person knows what its result will be on the seventh son, i.e. seven generations later. When we look at "finite" resources such as minerals if we are to follow the concept of sustainability then it is clear that we need to ensure availability for future generations. Currently the rich countries are consuming most resources, i.e. only 1/5 of the world's population consume 3/4 or more of the output of resources. It is fairly obvious that as other countries become more industrially advanced the overall consumption will rise. The questions of course are; How long will the resources last? Can we make them last longer?, can we in fact re-cycle them so that their use becomes sustainable? The answers of course, depend on the availability and consumption of those resources, i.e. how much there is, how quickly we use it and how technological development keeps pace with this