The omnivorous diet of modern technology |
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Institution: | 1. European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Unit D3, Ispra, Italy;2. Professor Emeritus, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands;3. United Nations University, Sustainable Cycles Programme, (UNU – ViE – SCYCLE), Bonn, Germany;4. Sofies, Weybridge, United Kingdom;1. Instituto de Investigacións Mariñas (IIM-CSIC), Eduardo Cabello 6, E-36208 Vigo, Spain;2. Institute F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, Boulevard Carl-Vogt 66, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland |
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Abstract: | Two centuries ago the diet of technology (the diversity of materials utilized) consisted largely of natural materials and a few metals. A century later, the diversity in the diet had expanded to perhaps a dozen materials in common use. In contrast, today's technology employs nearly every material in the periodic table, a behavior illustrated in this paper by the material evolution of electronics, medical technology, and the jet engine. Geological deposits in a given country or region tend to have only minimal to moderate elemental diversity, however. As a result, an extensive and diverse metal trade is required if modern technology is to be sustained. Some recent industry responses to elemental scarcity and implications for corporate and governmental policy are discussed. |
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