Is true that the earth's resources will be gone in 50 years?

Question

Is true that the earth's resources will be gone in 50 years?

Answer 1

No its not true ,but we may be gone

most predictions arte for 2012

Answer 2

Actually they won´t be gone but more difficult to extract.

Here are some examples:

- we are already trying to reach oil wells above 5 miles depth,

- we  start exploiting copper ores with much lower copper content since the best ones are gone

- we start seeing water scarcity again

- the food supply for 9 billion of people will be more difficult.

Well generally, if we don´t do a large work to optimize our consumption, the market will regulate itself between a larger demand (as 1/3 world countries developp) and a shorter supply.

What does it mean for the average citizen ?

Less purchase power = decreased wealth, return to more simple lifestyle.

Answer 3

There are two main problems with estimates like that. The first is that it is based on the known reserves of estimates and the rate of consumption. There are likely reserves that we have not yet discovered.

The second is the assumption that our technological ability to process and reclaim resources will stay the same. It only makes sense that we will be better able to process the resources we are extracting and use more of them because it will be more economic to develop the technology. Second on the same point, we will develop better technology to recycle materials and reuse them because we will have to as these resources become depleted.

I wouldnt worry too much about it. Most of it is alarmist rhetoric.

Answer 4

If we continue to use them at the rate we are today, it's quite probable.

Answer 5

Since the early 1800's there have been dire predictions that many of our resources would be gone within fifty years.  The doomsayers update these scenarios about every ten years.  President Carter, for example, stated on national television that we'd be out of oil within ten years.  That was almost thirty years ago.

Understand that the resource reserves are more a function of cost and price more than anything else.  If the price is high then it is economical to extract the needed materials from more dilute sources.  Finally, remember a basic law of chemistry:  Matter is neither created or destroyed by ordinary chemical means.  Translated this means that everything on this earth 1000 years ago is still here (excepting what we've shot into space).  So, while we've changed the character of some resources we have not lost many - oil, natural gas and a minute amount of coal excepted.