You’re reading this on a computer or other electronics device. Have you ever thought about what it took to build that device? Materials were dug up from the Earth and processed into this amazing form you’re staring at. Great, but this planet is finite in size…just how many more iPads can this planet provide the raw materials for? How long until the metals we take for granted run out? The infographic below attempts to answer that question, using data from the US Geological Survey. Naturally, there are a lot of assumptions in this and the exact numbers may be off…but the underlying point is the same, that the metals and fossil fuels that we depend on for our first world lifestyles are running out, and we’re talking about a matter of only decades before we face critical shortages. We cannot continue on this path of vast consumption…it simply isn’t sustainable. Shown here are just a few examples, the more critical ones…though the same idea applies to anything we dig out of the Earth to use…resources are limited.
