Materials Extraction and Use within the Framework of Global Sustainable Development

Abstract

Economic growth has been driven by the use of large quantities of materials such as stone, soil, metals, biomass, coal, petroleum, plastics, and ceramics. Their production and distribution are energy intensive. The availability, beneficiation costs, and flow of raw and processed materials vary among countries and are determinants of economic advantages that may accrue to well-planned economies. Globally, physical infrastructure development projects in economic sectors such as construction, agriculture, transportation, manufacturing, and energy production depend on material flows within and among countries. Direct and indirect displacement of materials has economic, environmental, and social impacts. The relationships among these impacts, scaled in time and space to specific projects and national economic development programs, are important in assessments of sustainable development. Sustainable development has four important elements: economic development; population management; environmental/ natural resources stewardship; and social equity. Materials use is strongly nested in economic development, as illustrated in Fig. 1, but it has ramifications throughout the other elements, as well as the social and physical infrastructure development systems that are schematically depicted in Fig. 2. Definition of material use indices according to the scheme presented by the World Resources Institute WRI 2000 enables material flows within any economy to be assessed appropriately. Characterization of material flows is necessary for material-energy conversions, which is in turn essential to the projection of energy supply needs of regions and countries. The following flows are defined. • Domestic process output DPO : total quantity of materials