Wellmer,F.-W. and Becker-Platen,J.D.(2002)

Int.J.Earth.Sci.(Geol. Rundsch.), 91, 723-745.

『Abstract
Natural resources, e.g., metals, industrial minerals, water, and soil, are the essential basis for our economy and well-being. We have to know where these raw materials come from and how they are mined. Sustainable development requires the maintenance, rational use and enhancement of natural resources, as well as a balanced consideration of ecology, economy and social justice. Four general rules concerning the implementation of sustainable development for renewable and nonrenewable resources are discussed. Examples of the consumption of selected materials from historical times to the present day are presented, as well as of regional distribution, usage (in contrast to consumption), lifetimes of resources, the supply-and-demand cycle, recycling and substitution in modern times. To fulfill the requirement of sustainable development, the efficiency with which resources are utilized has to be improved. The learning process, often driven by financial rewards, leads from one technology to a better one, thus increasing the efficiency of the use of a resource or commodity. Examples of learning curves are discussed. Industrial countries have to transfer their advanced technologies to developing countries in order to avoid undesirable development in the mining industry and use of natural resources in those regions. The use of the best available technology by the mining industry, taking into account economic considerations, and the necessity to establish environmental guidelines are essential if environmental impact of the production of non-renewable resources is to be minimized. Far more critical than the production of nonrenewable resources under the aspect of sustainable development and the capacity of the pollutant sinks of the Earth is the element of natural attenuation with regard to the resources soil and water.

Keywords: Environmental guidelines for mining industry, Learning process, Metallic and energy resources, Soil and water, Sustainable development』

『天然資源、例えば、金属、産業用鉱物、水、および土壌、は我々の経済と福利のために本質的な基礎である。我々はこれらの原料がどこからもたらされ、どのように掘られているのかを知らねばならない。持続可能な発展には、生態、経済、および社会正義についてバランスのとれた考慮はもちろん、天然資源の維持、合理的利用、および増進が必要である。再生可能および再生不能な資源に対する持続可能な発展の履行に関する4つの一般的なルールが、議論されている。現代における広域的な分布、使用法（消費と比べて）、資源の寿命、供給と需要のサイクル、リサイクル、および代替だけでなく、歴史時代から今日までの選ばれた物質の消費の例が示されている。持続可能な発展の要求を果たすために、資源利用の効率が改善されなくてはならない。しばしば財政的な報酬により動かされる学習過程は、ある技術からさらによい技術へ誘導し、したがって資源や商品の使用効率を増加させる。学習曲線の例が議論されている。工業国は彼らの先進的な技術を発展途上国へ、それらの地域での鉱業の望ましくない発展と天然資源の望ましくない利用を避けるために、移転しなければならない。経済性を考慮した、鉱業による最も役立つ技術の使用と、環境指針を確立する必要性は、再生不能な資源の生産による環境への強い影響が最小限にされるべきならば必須である。持続可能な発展と地球の汚染物質吸収の能力という局面で、再生不能の資源生産よりもっと危機的なものは、土壌と水という天然資源が衰退している要素である。』

Introduction
Sustainable development
　The concept of sustainable development
　Guidelines for sustainable development
Usage and consumption statistics for mineral and energy resources
　Present usage and consumption data
　Historical considerations
　Regional distribution of usage and consumption of natural resources
The future availability of mineral and energy resources
　Lifetime of reserves
　Supply and demand cycle of mineral and energy resources
　Recycling
　　Recycling and maintaining the same quality level
　　Recycling and not maintaining the same quality level
　　Recycling of waste products
　The psychological impact of forecasts
The learning process
Critical examination of the requirements of rule 2 of the Enquete Commission
Transfer of learning from industrial to developing nations
The sink problem of natural resources and the resilience of the environment
　Mining and reclamation
　Aspects of beneficiation
　International and national guidelines for sustainable development
Concluding remarks
Acknowledgements
References