EAS 4010 - Fundamentals of Energy and Mineral Resources

(OPHLS-AG, PBS-AS, PHS-AS) (CU-SBY)

Fall. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Recommended prerequisite: previous course in geology. Co-meets with EAS 5010.

K. Olson Hoal.

The sustainable development of humanity requires natural resources for the basics of life and for increasing global standards of living. Minerals and energy are critical for human existence now and for future generations, and so new resources must be discovered, developed efficiently, and kept in the circular economy through reuse and recycling. Discovery means fully understanding the Earth, including the geological processes that concentrate resources in the subsurface and the surficial conditions that may challenge resource extraction. Realistic estimates needed for future consumption include changing global demand and new technologies. Finally, we need to be aware of the social and political dimensions of mineral and energy resource management that regulate and control aspects of resource-related social development.