GUEST COLUMN

by Misael Cabrera Director, School of Mining and

Resources, University of Arizona

Solutions for Explosive Mineral Demand Growth

The University of Arizona was founded, in part, to advance mining in our mineralrich state. Now, nearly 140 years of mining education history positions the university to confront extraordinary challenges in this field. The School of Mining and Mineral Resources honors and carries forth the university’s land grant mission with an approach that addresses the unique circumstances of modern times.

More Need, Fewer Experts

The world’s population is quickly growing – the United Nations predicts it will reach 9.7 billion by 2050. At the same time, the global poverty rate is down nearly 24% since 1994. This point of intersection results in increasing demand for energy – preferably clean energy – and other life-improving technological advances made possible by minerals.

With a 30-year career in the environmental sector, I’ve seen no evidence that the international population is willing to achieve a greener future through decreased consumption. According to the U.S. Senate, “it is logically and practically impossible” to recycle our way out of this problem, since there are not enough minerals in the current system.

Because of these constraints, we’re going to have to rely on innovation and technology, and we must do more mining. The industrial minerals market is expected to quadruple in order to supply the demands created by clean energy technologies by 2040 and beyond, according to the International Energy Agency.

This brings up another big problem on the way to meeting this explosive growth in mineral demand – how to increase mining activities when fewer young people are entering the field. In Australia, where 75% of the country’s exports are mined resources, there has been a 63% drop in mining engineering enrollment since 2014. The U.S. has seen a 39% drop in mining graduates since 2016.

Additionally, many industry leaders have indicated that the current mining curriculum is narrow and outdated and is not keeping pace with advancements in technology, such as robotics and AI, nor with the legal and social issues around mining and environmental sustainability.

A New Model

At SMMR, we are creating the mineral resources educational model of the future, today. By bringing together existing world-class programs in mining engineering and economic geology and developing new educational programs like our sustainable mineral resources minor, we are breaking down the silos of traditional mining education. We are advancing understanding of mining law, tribal land rights, and environmental impact by creating learning opportunities for communities, professionals and K-12 educators. And we are funding critical research that addresses the needs of industry and society, to create more sustainable mineral extraction methods and develop a workforce of highly skilled, transdisciplinary professionals.

Learn more about the School of Mining and Mineral Resources and Misael Cabrera, its inaugural director.

Through innovations like these, we can solve today’s problems around the responsible management of mineral resources and help create a more prosperous, healthier, more equitable and sustainable future for all humankind.