Mining and Society: No Mining, No Future

At present, mining as a supplier of raw materials is an important foundation of our society. In order to give an initial overview of the world mining industry, some facts and figures are presented, such as the annual production of mining products compared to that of other commodities, the share of mining products in world trade, and the contribution of the mining industry to gross domestic product. How important mining is for society is illustrated by means of the dependence of the world's primary energy production on mineral fuels and by means of the average consumption of mining products per person in the world. To demonstrate the global presence and the actual role of mining products in everyday life, a car and the raw materials required to build it is taken as an example. By extension from the present, an outlook for the future role of mining in society is given. Although it is incontestable that renewable energy sources and recyclmg will play an increasingly large role in society, mining will remain indispensable in the next few decades and beyond In satisfying society's demands for energy and raw materials.