The coming radical change in mining practice

Unfortunately, the implications of contracting natural resources is counter to economic objectives and philosophies. Demand for all metals has been growing at an unsustainable rate.

Put these observable trends together and a compelling case can be made that our society is approaching an existential crisis that is systemic in nature and is in denial about the existence of that crisis. Everything we need and want to operate is drawn from non-renewable natural resources in a finite system. Most of those natural resources that we need are depleting or will do soon. Conversely, demand for everything we need and want is expanding fast in the name of economic growth (and increasing population). When these trends meet, there will come a point where how we do things will fundamentally change

None of these issues can be seen in isolation. Everything interacts together. This means that a chain reaction is probably what is going to happen. A traditionally isolated problem will happen, which will trigger unprecedented chaos. This is the nature of systemic crises around fundamental support services.

The party is over when demand for something vital outstrips supply or some vital service ceases to function reliably (or at all). The flashpoint is not the peak production of any given natural resource but when the perception of the average people en-masse understands that the world they live in is no longer possible. Once those voting public understand that there is no easy solution at hand that allows their life to continue in the fashion they have become accustomed to, then there will be no avoiding the supporting issues. Failure to address these issues will result our society being devastated. A school of thought tells us that there is considerable effort to keep the voting public largely ignorant of these issues, to keep them at their posts, working and consuming. What happens to the idea of democracy when there is no longer enough to go around? If we wish to stay a democracy then the average person must become educated in these issues and actively take part in developing the solutions.

The challenge for our political leadership is considerable. A series of solutions are required and then an unprecedented amount of leadership and vision needs to be applied. The voting public have to understand what the genuine issues are and all stake holders then have to work together. Our current approach seems to be wilful ignorance and 'give war a chance'.

We either meet these problems effectively, or those problems meet us with devastating consequences.