Abstract

The geosciences have a pivotal role to play in the sustainability debate and, more importantly, in providing answers to some of the key sustainability issues. This includes not only energy and mineral issues but also water, soil, pollution, living space, atmospheric emission, and many issues. For the foreseeable future, fossil fuels will be the key to meeting the world’s energy needs but natural gas will become the fossil fuel of choice. Nuclear power has the potential to play a role but it is questionable that it will be able to reach that potential unless there is a marked change in community attitudes in most countries. A switch to solar will have implications to the mineral industry, and there is a continuum between energy and minerals that is not always recognized. Exploration for resources has been at a high level in recent years, but low commodity prices, increasing reserves, and muted commodity demand are resulting in decreased levels of exploration activity in most countries. Our approach to the definition of reserves and resources needs to be re-examined to include an accessibility (or acceptability) factor that is a reflection of socioenvironmental issues rather than just the economic and technical parameters that dominate the present definitions of reserves and resources. This in turn requires a redefinition of the McKelvey Box.