Are We Going to Recycle the First Generation of Metals?

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Most of the non-fossil system has not been constructed yet, like less than one percent of vehicles are leaving now. So many of these things are going to be so diffuse that the energy required to effectively recycle them would be gargantuan. We need about 4.3 billion tonnes of copper for the first generation of electrical, nonrenewable technology systems including everything stitched together. And our existing production capability is simply, it's not up to scratch. But neither are our reserves.

On this episode, mining and geology expert Simon Michaux returns to give a preliminary framework for responses to the coming energy and material constraints described in the previous episode. This includes both practical thoughts for how to organize communities around resources and also a shift in mindset from short term to long-term and from competition to cooperation. How do we simultaneously lay out all of the biophysical constraints on the table so that we can begin preparing for and adapting to a changing future?

About Simon Michaux

Dr. Simon Michaux is an Associate Professor of Geometallurgy at the Geological Survey of Finland. He has a PhD in mining engineering. Dr. Michaux’s long-term work is on societal transformation toward a circular economy.

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