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IDR Team Summary 2: Identify what resources can be produced renewably or recovered by developing intense technologies that can be applied on a massive scale.
Pages 15-22

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From page 15...
... In many cases, the use of the nonrenewable resources also causes serious environmental disruptions, such as global climate change for fossil fuels, eutrophication, and the pollution impacts of mining operations. It is possible in some cases to develop processes that can create renewable substitutes for nonrenewable resources or that can capture the nonrenewable resources so that they can be reused.
From page 16...
... Key Questions • What resources can be produced renewably or recovered by developing intense technologies that can be applied on a massive scale? • What resource do we need to produce/recovery this way?
From page 17...
... Twigg, Texas A&M University • Paul K Westerhoff, Arizona State University • Fengqi You, Northwestern University IDR TEAM SUMMARY Kristina Twigg, NAKFI Science Writing Scholar Texas A&M University IDR Team 2 was asked to identify what resources can be produced renewably or recovered by developing intense technologies applied on a massive scale.
From page 18...
... In addition to finding renewable replacements for nonrenewable resources, pursuing a sustainable course also requires conserving, recycling and recovering resources. Phosphorus is currently used at an unsustainable rate of 17.5 metric tons per year with scientists projecting that supplies will last only a few more decades.
From page 19...
... Since the amount still available is quite large, the issue is not as time sensitive as phosphorus, for which resource depletion projections are rapidly approaching. Globalization Social/Political Factors Mining -- Resource -- Products Economics Ecosystem Service Ecological Harm FIGURE 1: A generalized EcoInteractome Map used for assessing the process of resource recovery or large-scale production of renewables within a social, ecological, and economic framework.
From page 20...
... 7 A E 12 8 15 Animal Phosphorus Animals Manure Ore 17.5 B 14 12 P fertilizer Harvested Arable Soil Crops Production Crops 3.5 D 8 C F 3 3 3 Water Human Foods Human Streams Excreta FIGURE 2: A simplified EcoInteractome Map of global phosphorus mass flow. The numbers express phosphorus in million tons and are derived from Cordell et al., 2009.
From page 21...
... Group C -- Capturing phosphorus from human waste streams Group D -- Capturing phosphorus from water Group E -- New sources of phosphorus Group F -- Changes in food production FIGURE 3: A list of innovations or technologies to generate or recover phosphorus on a massive scale. The letters correspond with points along the EcoInteractome map shown in figure 2.
From page 22...
... Kristina-Twigg Figure 4 editable Forward Moving vectors Progress toward recovering resources and producing renewables on a massive scale has been slow due to opposition from industries that rely on nonrenewable resources and because renewables are still more expensive to produce -- a cost passed on to the consumer. Research and development, such as the suggested pilot study, are necessary to move forward sustainably.


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