The Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) of the U. S. Department of Energy commissioned the National Research Council (NRC) to undertake a study on required technologies for the Mining Industries of the Future Program to complement information provided to the program by the National Mining Association. Subsequently, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health also became a sponsor of this study, and the Statement of Task was expanded to include health and safety. The overall objectives of this study are: (a) to review available information on the U.S. mining industry; (b) to identify critical research and development needs related to the exploration, mining, and processing of coal, minerals, and metals; and (c) to examine the federal contribution to research and development in mining processes.

The Routledge Handbook of the Extractive Industries and Sustainable Development provides a cutting-edge, comprehensive overview of current trends, challenges and opportunities for metal and mineral production and use, in the context of climate change and the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. Minerals and metals are used throughout the world in manufacturing, construction, infrastructure, production of electronics and consumer goods. Alongside this widespread use, extraction and processing of mineral resources take place in almost every nation at varying scales, both in developing countries and major developed nations. The chapters in this interdisciplinary handbook examine the international governance mechanisms regulating social, environmental and economic implications of mineral resource extraction and use. The original contributions, from a range of scholars, examine the relevance of the mining industry to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reviewing important themes such as local communities Indigenous peoples, gender equality and fair trade, showing how mining can influence global sustainable development. The chapters are organised into three sections: Global Trends in Mineral Resources Consumption and Production; Technology, Minerals and Sustainable Development; and Management of Social, Environmental and Economic Issues in the Mining Industry. This handbook will serve as an important resource for students and researchers of geology, geography, earth science, environmental studies, engineering, international development, sustainable development and business management, among others. It will also be of interest to professionals in governmental, international and non-governmental organisations that are working on issues of resource governance, environmental protection and social justice.

The advancement of human civilization has been intimately associated with the exploitation of raw materials. In fact the distinction of the main historical eras is based on the type of raw materials used. Hence, passage from the Paleolithic and Neolithic Age to the Bronze Age is characterized by the introduction of basic metals mainly copper, zinc and tin in human activities; the Iron Age is marked by the use of iron as the predominant metal. The use of metals has increased and culminated with the industrial revolution in the mid-eighteenth century, which marked the onset of the industrial age in the western world. Since then the importance of metals has gradually been surpassed by industrial minerals in the industrialized countries. Industrial minerals are raw materials used by industry for their physical and/or chemical properties. Characterization of industrial minerals is important for their assessment and can be demanding and often complicated. This new volume, co-published by the European Mineralogical Union and the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain & Ireland, is based on papers presented at an EMU-Erasmus IP School which was held in the Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece. The aim of the School was to describe advances in some of the analytical methods used to characterize industrial minerals and to propose additional methods which are currently not used for this purpose.

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