Earth’s Resources: The Challenges

All countries, especially industrialized ones, need resources. We need energy for industry and transport, minerals for manufacturing and production, and of course, food and water for survival. Increasingly, however, fluctuating markets, prices, and availability are a global problem. Human development has come at a price, and many of the resources necessary for our survival are already in extremely short supply. Minerals extracted from nature are increasingly limited, with copper, lead, tin, and tungsten already close to depletion. We have, in recent times, had a glimpse of possible future calamities, with climate change, rural depopulation, and changes in land use all affecting food supplies, while clean fresh water is becoming scarcer from drought and pollution. Energy sources such as oil and gas are affected by wars, political decisions, and increased demand. All these factors and problems are interconnected in a very complex way, and there is a pressing need for solutions before it is too late.