All matter, and hence all life, is ultimately linked to the elements that constitute the periodic table. While scientists may disagree about its structure, there is no escaping the fundamental dependence we have on the material code of elements. Energy transforms the elements into compounds and is often the limiting factor in allowing us to cycle materials through our industrial metabolism. As resources become scarce, society will have to keep track of our elements, particularly metals, in more systematic ways. The term “nonrenewable” is often used to describe metallic resources. However, the elements (including all metals) are in fact indefinitely renewable at a fundamental chemical level. Only nuclear reactions can transform one element into another, and those are not so easy to come by!
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