Young Earth Scientists’ Society

Environmental Sector, T.G.I.F. Writeup

Topic: “Minerals and Human Use”

To be posted on: March 26, 2021

Outline:

 Define what mineral is.

 Highlight the importance of minerals to people.
o Minerals in everyday use
o Availability of minerals as a measure of societal wealth
 Example of commonly used materials everyday and the minerals that make it up
 Mineral Resources vs Mineral Reserves
 Availability and Use of Mineral Resources
 Types of mineral resources
o Categories of mineral resources based on use
 Responses to limited availability of mineral resources. (I’ve decided not to put this one on the
pubmat kasi hahaba lalo and I also think the highlight of my topic naman is more on the
“categories of mineral resources based on use”, pero if you prefer to include this sa pubmat,
then kindly inform me na lang so I can make changes, thank you!)

 For the caption (12 sentences, excluding the lists):

Minerals are scientifically defined as naturally occurring, inorganic solids that have orderly crystalline
structure and definite but not necessarily fixed chemical composition, and they can be regarded as
human’s nonrenewable heritage from the geologic past. The development of a modern technological
civilization depends largely on the availability of mineral resources. Minerals play an important role and
have always been present in people’s daily lives from the dishes made from clay, utensils made of steel,
and electronic items that are made from metals and petroleum products. Thus, the availability of
mineral resources has been considered as a measure of societal wealth.

The following are five examples of useful materials and their mineral components:

 Pen: includes limestone, mica, clays, silica, and talc

 Pencil: includes graphite and clays
 Computer: Includes gold, silica, nickel, aluminum, zinc, iron, and about thirty other minerals.
 Phone: includes gold, nickel, silica, and zinc.
 Television: includes aluminum, copper, iron, nickel, beryllium, and petroleum products.

Mineral deposits are hidden in small areas and are formed as a result of present Earth processes, but it
should be noted that these Earth processes occur too slow to be of use in the present times, and the
deposits that can easily be located have already been exploited.
Mineral Resource is defined as a concentration of a naturally occurring material in or on the Earth’s crust
in a form that can now or potentially be extracted at a profit. A Reserve on the other hand, refers to the
portion of a resource that is identified and is currently available to be extracted for profit. It is the
Earth’s history that determines the availability of minerals in certain forms, in a certain location, and in a
certain total amount of that concentration.

The Following are the different categories of mineral resources depending on their use:

1. Elements for metal production and technology, which can be classified according to their
abundance. Some abundant metals include iron, aluminum, chromium, manganese, titanium,
and magnesium.
2. Building materials, which include aggregate sand, gravel, and crushed stone for concrete; clay
for tile production; and volcanic ash for cinder blocks.
3. Minerals used in the chemical industry, which include the minerals that are utilized in the
production of petrochemicals.
4. Minerals used for agriculture.

These mineral resources can be utilized in several ways. It can be used with rapid consumption,
consumption and conservation, or consumption and conservation with recycling. The fundamental
problem associated with the availability of mineral resources is the cost of maintaining an adequate
reserve within a given economy by means of mining and recycling because there are instances when the
cost of mining exceeds the worth of material that can be extracted.

The following are the possible solutions to address the limitation in mineral resources:

1. Find more sources.

2. Find a substitute.
3. Recycle what has already been obtained.
4. Use less and make more efficient use of what is available.

As the global population together with the desire for a higher standard of living continue to increase, the
demand for minerals will also increase.

 For Publicity Material (7 sentences excluding the lists):

Minerals are defined as naturally occurring, inorganic solids with orderly crystalline structure and
definite but not necessarily fixed chemical composition. The development of a modern technological
civilization depends largely on the availability of mineral resources. Minerals play an important role and
have always been present in people’s daily lives.

The following are five examples of useful materials and their mineral components:

 Pen: includes limestone, mica, clays, silica, and talc

 Pencil: includes graphite and clays
 Computer: Includes gold, silica, nickel, aluminum, zinc, iron, and about thirty other minerals.
 Phone: includes gold, nickel, silica, and zinc.
 Television: includes aluminum, copper, iron, nickel, beryllium, and petroleum products.
Mineral Resource refers to a concentration of a naturally occurring material in or on the Earth’s crust in
a form that can now or potentially be extracted at a profit. A Reserve on the other hand, refers to the
portion of a resource that is identified and is currently available to be extracted for profit.

The Following are the different categories of mineral resources depending on their use:

a. Minerals for metal production and technology

b. Minerals for building materials
c. Minerals used in the chemical industry.
d. Minerals used for agriculture.

In general, there are several ways by which mineral resource can be utilized, and this includes rapid
consumption, consumption with conservation, or consumption and conservation with recycling. As the
global population together with the desire for a higher standard of living continue to increase, the
demand for minerals will also increase.

Reference:

Keller, E.A. (March 22, 2011). Introduction to Environmental Geology Fifth Edition. USA: Pearson
Education.

Writeup by: Jhon Kelvin Fajardo