Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Commentary
  • Published:

Road map to mineral supply

Nature Geoscience volume 6, pages 892–894 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Access to metals and minerals is restricted mostly by geopolitical constraints, and not by a shortage of mineable deposits. In the face of rising demand, a full inventory of these commodities — in the Earth's crust as well as in recyclable waste — is urgently required.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Chuquicamata open-pit copper mine in Chile, one of the largest in the world.

© ALAMY / UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP / DEAGOSTINI

References

  1. Meadows, D. H., Meadows, D. L., Randers, J. & Behrens, W. W. The Limits to Growth: A Report for the Club of Rome's Project on the Predicament of Mankind (Universe Books, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Cohen, D. New Scientist 2605, 34–41 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Kesler, S. & Wilkinson, B. H. Geology 36, 255–258 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. http://reddogalaska.com

  5. http://www.pebblepartnership.com

  6. http://www.riotintosimandou.com/ENG/media/media_releases_1536.asp

  7. http://www.whitehouse.gov/mgi

  8. http://in.reuters.com/article/2008/07/10/metals-rhenium-idINL1037587920080710

  9. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/apr/25/samsung-tin-mines-indonesia-child-labour

  10. http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/gold

  11. Lynch, M. Mining in World History (Reaktion Books Ltd, 2002).

    Google Scholar 

  12. European Exploration: A record-breaking year (Mining Journal Report, 23 March 2012).

  13. Riekkola-Vanhanen, M. Nova Biotechnologica 10, 7–14 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Herrington, R. Geophys. Res. Abstr. 14, EGU2012–13888 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  15. http://www.metal-supply.com/article/view/58422/waste_turns_to_gold_at_lkab

  16. http://sometimes-interesting.com/2011/07/17/electronic-waste-dump-of-the-world

  17. Korinek, J. & Kim, J. OECD Trade Policy Working Paper No. 95 (2010); http://www.oecd.org/trade

    Google Scholar 

  18. Merchant Research & Consulting Ltd; http://mcgroup.co.uk

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Richard Herrington is at The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK,

    Richard Herrington

Authors
  1. Richard Herrington
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard Herrington.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Herrington, R. Road map to mineral supply. Nature Geosci 6, 892–894 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1947

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1947

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing