The spread of smartphones illustrates how quickly the resources demanded by an economy can change. Lithium has become more important with modern batteries, although it is only one of the materials those systems need. Such changes make it difficult to predict which resources, and which deposits, will matter twenty or fifty years ahead. Steel and aluminium offer more persistent industrial requirements. Planning must distinguish those relatively stable needs from demand tied to a particular technology.
Notable Point · 28:18-30:19
Technology changes which resources matter
Battery materials illustrate why future resource requirements are harder to predict than the continued need for basic industrial materials.