| Title | A Closer Relationship with Our Metals |
|---|---|
| Contributor | W. Scott Dunbar(author) |
| Jocelyn Fraser (author) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0373.13 |
| Landing page | https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0373/chapters/10.11647/obp.0373.13 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Copyright | W. Scott Dunbar and Jocelyn Fraser |
| Publisher | Open Book Publishers |
| Published on | 2024-04-08 |
| Long abstract | The existence and availability of metals is taken for granted by most people. However, these perceptions will be challenged as global metal demand increases due to economic development, and supplies are threatened by dwindling geological reserves and shifting geopolitics. Alternative sources and methods of supply must be developed if we are to meet anticipated needs for metals, including those required for the transition to renewable energy systems. The ideal goal is a circular economy, where recycling and reuse of metal-containing products keep these resources available to the economy as long as possible. At the same time, innovation within the existing global metal supply system can provide new access to metal sources and opportunities for improved recovery of metals along the supply chain. The key is to open new points of entry into the metal supply system, identify and remove barriers, introduce necessary technologies, and organize more efficient business models. This includes the targeting of smaller-scale deposits and the more efficient recovery of metals from waste material at various points along the supply chain. If society were more engaged in such developments, metals could be more efficiently supplied with significant economic benefits to a larger number of individuals. |
| Page range | pp. 127–136 |
| Print length | 10 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
W. Scott Dunbar is a Professor in the Department of Mining Engineering at UBC. His research explores the future of mining, drawing ideas from a range of science and engineering disciplines to develop novel concepts and methods for mining and mineral processing. His recent work has focused on organizational innovation in the mineral supply system. He is a registered professional engineer in the province of British Columbia, and the author of How Mining Works, a book that explains the mining industry to non-specialist audiences.
Jocelyn Fraser is a Research Associate and Sessional Lecturer in the Department of Mining Engineering at UBC. After working for extractive companies on community and stakeholder engagement issues, she completed a PhD in Mining Engineering at UBC on the topic of shared value. She teaches and conducts research on the intersectionality of mining and society, with a focus on social risk and responsibility in the mining sector. She is particularly interested in approaches to increase collaboration, reduce mining-community conflict, and business model innovation to achieve the agenda of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Jocelyn sits on the advisory panel of the Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining initiative and leads a Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy working group on stakeholder engagement.