Using Earth's resources, LCAs and recycling GapFill

As the population increases and industrial development occurs, the use of Earth's resources becomes less  costlychallengingwidespreadsustainable, and more  naturalfiniterenewabletraditional resources are being used up to provide energy and materials. For example,  woodcopper orelimestonecotton is running out, so alternatives to mining it, including phytomining and  floraleachingbactominingbioleachingfungiharvesting, are now being used.

Water, one of the world's most important resources, often needs to be treated before it is safe to drink, or  transparentalkalinepurepotable. This is done by passing the water through  coolant tanksbuffersfilter bedsmembranes and  screeningfilteringsterilisingdesalinating it using agents such as chlorine or ozone. If the water is not fresh, it may also require  desalinationneutralisationconvectionbioleaching, either by distillation or using reverse  diffusiontranspirationtitrationosmosis, but both of these processes require a lot of  energyspacetimeheat. Waste water also needs treating to remove organic matter, chemicals and  microbeshydroxide ionssandsalts.

 Life pattern evaluationsLifespan evaluationsLifestyle assessmentsLife cycle assessments can be used to judge the  environmentalacademicglobalfinancial impacts of products throughout their lifespan. They focus on several stages, starting from the extraction of raw materials, and ending with the product's  safetymanufacturingdisposalsale. As a community, people can use resources more responsibly by reusing or  burningcrushingdumpingrecycling them.