IMAGE: How Long Will Our Resources Last?

How many years do we have left if the world consumes at the current rate? How about if we consume at half the current US rate? The answers are sobering.

IMAGE HERE

I think this is interesting ... some of the numbers look kind of off though especially the one's regarding uranium, links below behind the thoughts regarding uranium

Here & Here

what are your thoughts?

[edit on 19-4-2009 by baseball101]

Most of the listed resources aren't really "consumed" (turned into energy), but processed and/or transformed into something else, which can eventually be reused. Probably in a not so distant future they won't be harvested anymore (or not as much as today) from mines and quarries, but recycled from waste.
The problem is obviously the cost of doing that, as it's not an impossible thing to do now. Also, it takes much more energy than mining natural resources (= more pollution, and for those concerned, more CO2).

About uranium as a nuclear fuel, today's nuclear plant waste is already the fuel of new generation nuclear plants. But due to widespread "anti-nuclear" policies most countries will be sticking with old ones until the end of their lifecycle and will not replace them with those.

[edit on 2009/4/19 by Shirakawa]

Whether the figures are accurate or not,it just goes to show how we all take these materials for granted!
Look around your home just know,and you will see just how many items that are made from most of these materials!

The thing is,Mother Earth has been trying to protect herself from us for years,with new viruses,illnessess,and various natural disasters,and one day soon,She is going to hit the jackpot,and manage to get rid of a huge swathe of us in one go!

oh i completely agree with you that's why i posted it haha ... and yes, sadly, i also agree, mother nature will eventually strike back for the years of mistreatment ...

Originally posted by baseball101
How many years do we have left if the world consumes at the current rate? How about if we consume at half the current US rate? The answers are sobering.

IMAGE HERE

I think this is interesting ... some of the numbers look kind of off though especially the one's regarding uranium, links below behind the thoughts regarding uranium

Here & Here

what are your thoughts?

[edit on 19-4-2009 by baseball101]

I'm just curious. How do you think we can deplete resources that never leave? Nothing is ever subtracted, just transformed, which eventually will become again, so how can any true damage be done that won't heal itself with time? One super volcano would take care of all it and us for that matter, but the soil afterwords would be paradise. Anyway, just wanted to see what you thought, seeing as how nothing is lost, only transformed.

Peace

Originally posted by baseball101
oh i completely agree with you that's why i posted it

haha ... and yes, sadly, i also agree, mother nature will eventually strike back for the years of mistreatment ...

Nothing to worry about though, it's a nap.

"Mom come around and put it back the way it ought to be....suck it down"

"See you down in Arizona bay.."....I can't wait.

Peace

are you sure you're not thinking about energy? that's the only thing i know of that can't be created or destroyed, just transformed.

Originally posted by baseball101
are you sure you're not thinking about energy? that's the only thing i know of that can't be created or destroyed, just transformed.

No, you are right, but everything is indexed in the electro-magnetic spectrum. I guess what your asking is really more in terms of short term right? When I say short term, I'm talking like leaving the planet better then we found it for the next Generation...is that correct?

I was watching a program a few days ago which exhibited a new technology for breaking waste, as in landfill waste, back down into reusable fuels. Basically they were taking the process that happens naturally...Water, Pressure and Heat, and making oil and Gas out of the garbage. I'll try to find that and post it. Perhaps you'd be interested. They could take anything and I mean anything and make it into oil...pretty fascinating.

I personally believe that we are not the first advanced civilization to inhabit this earth, nor do I believe that we could do anything to the planet that wouldn't heal itself. Not that I'm promoting waste or destruction, I just think it's indestructible. Humans are a different story, but the earth...I just can't see it. Time heals all.

Anyway thanks for the reply.

Peace