IntroductionMetal mining is a vital part of today's civilization, where so many components of our daily lives place a strain on natural resources. At current demand and consumption rates, the sustainability of metal ores is unknown. The article “Assessing the Long-Term Availability of Copper” and its response “On the Sustainability of Metal Supplies” provide insight into the issues we as a society will face in the near future.SummaryPaper 1Tilton and Lagos note that an increase in population at current demand will inevitably lead to scarcity. In contrast, the opportunity cost paradigm made evident in the article states that copper may become less scarce in the future (Tilton, Lagos 2010). Disregarding the fixed supply paradigm, they suggest that the physical quantity of copper does not determine its future abundance. Instead, they support the idea that a sufficient increase in costs and prices will eliminate demand. Tilton and Lagos state that over the last 130 years there has been minimal fluctuation in the real price of copper due to a constant battle between the cost-increasing effects of depletion (remote sources, lower-grade ore, etc. .) and the reduction of costs of innovative technology, since they more or less compensate each other. This has allowed for high consumption and rapid depletion of copper ores, however as Tilton and Lagos point out this favorable trend will not continue. Document 2In response to the theories of Tilton and Lagos, the article “On the sustainability of metal supplies” investigates limits and possible trends rather than predictions. The author's main argument is that sufficiency will eventually replace the economic norm. Article counters Tilton...... middle of paper...... No. 4228, Materials Issue (February 20, 1976), pp. 677-682Published by: American Association for the Advancement of ScienceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1741483Gordon R.B., Bertram M., Graedal TE (2007), “On the sustainability of metal supplies: a response to Titlton and Lagos”, Resources Policy, Vol 32 (1-2) , June 2007, pp 24-28Myers, N. (2005). Learn to say "enough". Science, 310(5755), 1771. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.monash.edu.au/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA140996325&v=2.1&u=monash&it=r&p= AONE&sw=w&asid=316f2c470dfdbe9335b6076bfa312364Taylor, Shelley E., Brown, Jonathan D. 1988, “Illusion and Well-Being: A social Psychological Perspective on Mental Health”, vol 103(2), March 1988, p 193–210, ISSN: 0033 -2909Tilton JE, Lagos G. (2010), “Assessing long-term copper availability”, Resources Policy, 32 (1-2), pp. 677-682