An often-heard viewpoint is that the concept of sustainable development is incompatible with the extractive minerals industry, and that mining in any form is un-sustainable. Because the material fabric of modern society is largely built with mineral products (Nowlan, 2001), the logical extension of this argument must be a return to the Stone Age (but no flint quarries, mind). Advocacy of this position might be considered anti-human, because a characteristic of our species is to strive for better Jiving conditions for ourselves and our families. The human population of this planet is predicted to grow to -9 billion...
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