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| Sustainability |
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  In
the 21st Century, the needs of the environment and the economy are
expected to come together in an alliance of purpose and action that
is known as sustainability. In a sustainable future, society will
be able to meet its needs without compromising its future.
No discussion of sustainability can ignore such pressing issues as
global climate change, rising energy demand, resource conservation,
and the critical need to reduce poverty and feed the world's hungry.
And in each of these critical areas, the benefits of copper will go
a long way in helping us to achieve a sustainable future.
Isn't it interesting that copper, one of humanity's oldest and most
useful materials, is poised to contribute so much to the new model
of sustainable growth and development, just as it has through the
millennia?
Take, for example, two related issues - climate change and energy
efficiency. Because of its superior conductivity, copper is the material
of choice for transferring electric power. In electric motors and
other components, more copper improves efficiency by reducing wasteful
heat loss. This means less energy demand per unit of output. And that
means fewer greenhouse-gas emissions that are associated with climate
change.
As for resource conservation, copper has the longest history of recycling
of any material known to civilization. Today, it remains one of the
most widely reused materials on the planet. About 80% of all the copper
ever used remains in use today. And about 40% of copper used annually
is recycled from prior uses. This is a much higher level of reuse
than for other metals, including aluminum.
Copper is also a micro-nutrient vital for all forms of plant and animal
life, and thus serves a critical function in agriculture to ensure
soil fertility and productive yield of vital foodstuffs.
And just as in biology, copper is essential to technology, enabling
peak performance from advanced microprocessors and other miniature
components that drive the digital economy of today and tomorrow.
All these uses for copper, and many others, working together environmentally
and economically, will help to sustain and improve life - now and
into the future. |
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