coal, oil and natural gas. Those industrial changes had important repercussions on
the existing economic, social and political structures, mostly in a positive way. Not
only in the Western countries but also over all regions where they were introduced.
In a first stage this industrial revolution barely had an impact on the environment.
Two centuries later as a result of the increasing demand for mineral resources and
the cumulated harmful effects in a specific region or even on a planetary scale, the
consequences are disastrous in many fields. Cutting down tropical forests, clearing
land for agriculture, roads, towns and open pit mining, laying pipelines through
natural areas, contaminating water by fracking process, polluting coastal areas by
crude oil spills or acid rains are just a few examples. Human activities related to the
exploitation of mineral resources have in many cases revealed to be a catastrophe
for the biodiversity of the exploitation places and even far beyond those areas.
Many species of flora and fauna are threatened with extinction or have already
disappeared. Innumerable human activities are not only harmful to the environment
but also reveal to be a threat to public health and when the negative effects exceed
recommended limits they considerably can reduce standards of living.
Claims have been made by specialists that the rate of disappearance of species is
currently a hundredfold that which it was during past geological times. The share of
vertebrates in the decrease of biodiversity is considerable. It is expected that, if
current trends continue, several thousand plant and animal species would be lost in
the next decades. Scientists estimate that various animal and plant species may be
disappearing at the rate of one every day, with thousands more on the verge of
extinction. 34,000 plant and 5200 animal species face extinction, as well as 30% of
the main breeds of farm animals. The responsibility for this highly disturbing
development lies clearly on the doorsteps of the human interference in natural
ecosystems. The fault is placed with irrational, irresponsible and often wild exploitation of the resources.
39.2 The Original McKelvey Diagram
McKelvey designed a two-dimensional diagram reflecting the use of mineral
resources by positioning the amount of identified resources in relation to its
undiscovered resources. This diagram can be applied to all minerals. Since it was
developed in the mid 1970s the fundamentals of the model are based on parameters
that are a projection of the social concepts in use in the industrialized countries up to
the 1960s, namely technique and economy. However the McKelvey box gives a
quite appropriate summary of the various categorizations of mineral resources
applied until then (Fig. 39.1).
The diagram depicts the variation between the possibly exploitable mineral
resources versus the total quantity of available mineral resources on earth. In
McKelvey’s graphic illustration the geological certainty concerning the existence
of the mineral reserves is represented on the horizontal axis while on the other hand
the vertical axis is corresponding to the economic feasibility of extraction projects.
646
A.C. Thys
the existing economic, social and political structures, mostly in a positive way. Not
only in the Western countries but also over all regions where they were introduced.
In a first stage this industrial revolution barely had an impact on the environment.
Two centuries later as a result of the increasing demand for mineral resources and
the cumulated harmful effects in a specific region or even on a planetary scale, the
consequences are disastrous in many fields. Cutting down tropical forests, clearing
land for agriculture, roads, towns and open pit mining, laying pipelines through
natural areas, contaminating water by fracking process, polluting coastal areas by
crude oil spills or acid rains are just a few examples. Human activities related to the
exploitation of mineral resources have in many cases revealed to be a catastrophe
for the biodiversity of the exploitation places and even far beyond those areas.
Many species of flora and fauna are threatened with extinction or have already
disappeared. Innumerable human activities are not only harmful to the environment
but also reveal to be a threat to public health and when the negative effects exceed
recommended limits they considerably can reduce standards of living.
Claims have been made by specialists that the rate of disappearance of species is
currently a hundredfold that which it was during past geological times. The share of
vertebrates in the decrease of biodiversity is considerable. It is expected that, if
current trends continue, several thousand plant and animal species would be lost in
the next decades. Scientists estimate that various animal and plant species may be
disappearing at the rate of one every day, with thousands more on the verge of
extinction. 34,000 plant and 5200 animal species face extinction, as well as 30% of
the main breeds of farm animals. The responsibility for this highly disturbing
development lies clearly on the doorsteps of the human interference in natural
ecosystems. The fault is placed with irrational, irresponsible and often wild exploitation of the resources.
39.2 The Original McKelvey Diagram
McKelvey designed a two-dimensional diagram reflecting the use of mineral
resources by positioning the amount of identified resources in relation to its
undiscovered resources. This diagram can be applied to all minerals. Since it was
developed in the mid 1970s the fundamentals of the model are based on parameters
that are a projection of the social concepts in use in the industrialized countries up to
the 1960s, namely technique and economy. However the McKelvey box gives a
quite appropriate summary of the various categorizations of mineral resources
applied until then (Fig. 39.1).
The diagram depicts the variation between the possibly exploitable mineral
resources versus the total quantity of available mineral resources on earth. In
McKelvey’s graphic illustration the geological certainty concerning the existence
of the mineral reserves is represented on the horizontal axis while on the other hand
the vertical axis is corresponding to the economic feasibility of extraction projects.
646
A.C. Thys