English Translation ​EARTH’S ELEMENTS AND THEIR LIMITATIONS ​There are many minerals and precious…

English Translation ​EARTH’S ELEMENTS AND THEIR LIMITATIONS ​There are many minerals and precious elements on our planet. But aren’t there limits to them? Of course, there are. No matter how abundant elements may seem, each one has an end. For instance, although iron is very common on Earth, it is finite, and after a certain rate of consumption, iron mines will eventually be exhausted. ​So, despite knowing this reality, why don’t humans find a fundamental solution? Although societies have focused on recycling in recent years, all the minerals in the world will eventually be consumed. The biggest factor triggering this depletion is that the human population has risen from 4.1 billion to 8.3 billion in the last 50 years. This massive population growth has automatically increased daily needs and, consequently, the supply-demand balance. As a result, elements have begun to deplete much faster. ​Planned Obsolescence and Consumption Frenzy ​Another reason for the rapid depletion of minerals is people’s tendency to buy items they do not actually need. Furthermore, companies designing their products with a shorter lifespan to achieve higher profits (planned obsolescence) accelerates this process. For example, while a watch bought 20 years ago could still work today, a watch of the same brand bought today may break before a year and a half has passed. This situation means more supply and more demand. While companies earn more, the use of matter and elements increases uncontrollably. ​Let’s explain this with an example: Imagine you have $10 in your pocket. You spend $1 every day, and that $1 returns to you in a circular way. However, when that $01 stops returning one day, if you continue to spend, you will eventually have no money left, and your life activities will cease. This is exactly the situation for minerals when recycling is not practiced. If a product is not recycled, at the end of the day, the material required to manufacture that product cannot be found, and production stops entirely. ​Critical Estimates for Mineral Reserves ​Silver: Approximately 20-25 years of life left. It is one of the minerals sounding the alarm the fastest because it is indispensable for solar panels and electronic devices. ​Copper: Approximately 30-40 years of life left. Since electricity transmission and the construction sector are entirely dependent on copper, the shortening of this period signifies a global crisis. ​Lithium: Approximately 40-50 years of life left. Its consumption is increasing exponentially every year, especially due to electric vehicle batteries and smartphones. ​Iron: Approximately 60-100 years of life left. Although it is abundant in the world, the massive population’s need for steel (skyscrapers, bridges, vehicles) is rapidly melting the reserves. ​Phosphate (Phosphorus): Approximately 100-150 years of life left. It is the most critical substance on the list; because if phosphate runs out, agricultural fertilization will stop, and food to feed billions of people cannot be produced.

​References ​World Population Growth: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2024). World Population Prospects 2024. New York: United Nations. ​Mineral Reserves & Depletion (Silver, Copper, Iron, Phosphate): U.S. Geological Survey. (2024). Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024. Reston, VA: U.S. Department of the Interior. ​Lithium & Green Energy Demand: International Energy Agency. (2023). The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions. Paris: IEA Publishing. ​Planned Obsolescence & Consumption: Cooper, T. (2010). Longer Lasting Products: Alternatives to the Throwaway Society. Farnham: Gower Publishing. ​Phosphorus & Food Security: Cordell, D., & White, S. (2014). Life’s Bottleneck: Sustaining the World’s Phosphorus for a Food Secure Future. Annual Review of Environment and Resources.