September 2003 AGGMAN Geology

The Future and Sustainability

Cooperation and responsibility are the keys to building a sustainable industry for future generations.

My wife Pam and I are delighted to announce that on May 6, 2003, our only child Kimberly gave birth to our first grandchild, Donovan Langer Roedel. Kimberly and our son-in-law Rob have an awesome challenge — they are charged with rearing a healthy, responsible, productive member of society.
Society also has an awesome challenge. Over his lifetime, Donovan will require many natural resources, including about 1.62 million pounds of natural aggregate. Society must enable Donovan to meet his needs for natural resources, and must do so without compromising the ability of Donovan’s grandchildren to meet their needs. One way to accomplish this is through sustainable mineral resource management.
When I first heard about sustainable mineral resource management, I thought it was a bunch of malarkey. However, after learning a bit about the subject I realized that it does hold real possibilities as a method to deal with mineral resource issues. That is why during the past year this column has contained articles that did not specifically include the term “sustainability,” but nonetheless discussed sustainability issues and techniques.
I am not alone in thinking sustainable management might hold promise. Jay Hair, Secretary General of the International Council on Mining and Metals, is quoted as saying “Sustainable development — it’s all about business, managing risks and growing opportunities” (Quarry, August 2002, p.14). Hair maintains that generation of wealth through profitability and employment is an integral part of sustainability.
If you are still skeptical, you might do what Donovan and I did the other day — we surfed the web looking to see what some of the world’s largest aggregate producers say about sustainability. We found quotes such as:
“We are convinced that a world-class industrial group like ours can only succeed in the long run if it operates in the framework of sustainable development, and if its concern for the environment is genuine and recognized.”
“[We] strive towards sustainability, balancing today’s needs with those of the future.”
“[The year] 2001 saw great progress in implementing the strategic drive towards environmental sustainability.”
I told Donovan that a simple, concise definition of sustainable development can be found in Our Common Future, otherwise known as the “Bruntland Commission Report.” That report states that the purpose of sustainable development is to ensure that development “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p. 43).
I then told Donovan a little bit about how the process works. Sustainable resource management has many guidelines or procedures to follow, and I will discuss some of those methodologies in future articles. But for simplicity’s sake, I told Donovan that sustainability really is all about cooperation and responsibility.
To ensure the sustainability of aggregate resources, each of the primary stakeholders —government, industry, public, and other non-governmental organizations — must accept certain responsibilities. The government is responsible for developing the policies and climate that provide conditions for success. The industry must work to be recognized as a responsible corporate and environmental member of the community. The public and non-governmental organizations have the responsibility to become informed about natural resource management issues and to constructively contribute to a process that addresses not only their own, but a range of objectives and interests. All stakeholders have the responsibility to identify and resolve legitimate concerns, and the government, industry, and the public must cooperate at the regional and local levels in planning for sustainable aggregate extraction.
Sustainable practices need not always be conducted under the title of sustainability. Many governments are beginning to develop sustainability programs; however, these efforts generally stop short of including aggregate resources. Despite the lack of government policy promoting sustainability, some aggregate companies in the United States and elsewhere have already begun implementing the concepts of sustainability without waiting for government involvement.
You might think that I was joking earlier in this article about my monologues with Donovan. Actually, I have discovered that at this stage of his life, Donovan is thoroughly content to listen to Grandpa talk about many aspects of the aggregate industry — even sustainability. Unlike with most speaking engagements, when talking with Donovan, the ultimate compliment comes when the audience falls asleep.

William H. Langer is a geologist with the Mineral Resources Team of the U.S. Geological Survey.

September 2003 Carved in Stone The Future and Sustainability				The Future and Sustainability Cooperation and responsibility are the keys to building a sustainable industry for future generations. By Bill Langer My wife Pam and I are delighted to announce that on May 6, 2003, our only child Kimberly gave birth to our first grandchild, Donovan Langer Roedel. Kimberly and our son-in-law Rob have an awesome challenge — they are charged with rearing a healthy, responsible, productive member of society. Society also has an awesome challenge. Over his lifetime, Donovan will require many natural resources, including about 1.62 million pounds of natural aggregate. Society must enable Donovan to meet his needs for natural resources, and must do so without compromising the ability of Donovan’s grandchildren to meet their needs. One way to accomplish this is through sustainable mineral resource management. When I first heard about sustainable mineral resource management, I thought it was a bunch of malarkey. However, after learning a bit about the subject I realized that it does hold real possibilities as a method to deal with mineral resource issues. That is why during the past year this column has contained articles that did not specifically include the term “sustainability,” but nonetheless discussed sustainability issues and techniques. I am not alone in thinking sustainable management might hold promise. Jay Hair, Secretary General of the International Council on Mining and Metals, is quoted as saying “Sustainable development — it’s all about business, managing risks and growing opportunities” (Quarry, August 2002, p.14). Hair maintains that generation of wealth through profitability and employment is an integral part of sustainability. If you are still skeptical, you might do what Donovan and I did the other day — we surfed the web looking to see what some of the world’s largest aggregate producers say about sustainability. We found quotes such as: “We are convinced that a world-class industrial group like ours can only succeed in the long run if it operates in the framework of sustainable development, and if its concern for the environment is genuine and recognized.” “[We] strive towards sustainability, balancing today’s needs with those of the future.” “[The year] 2001 saw great progress in implementing the strategic drive towards environmental sustainability.” I told Donovan that a simple, concise definition of sustainable development can be found in Our Common Future, otherwise known as the “Bruntland Commission Report.” That report states that the purpose of sustainable development is to ensure that development “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p. 43). I then told Donovan a little bit about how the process works. Sustainable resource management has many guidelines or procedures to follow, and I will discuss some of those methodologies in future articles. But for simplicity’s sake, I told Donovan that sustainability really is all about cooperation and responsibility. To ensure the sustainability of aggregate resources, each of the primary stakeholders —government, industry, public, and other non-governmental organizations — must accept certain responsibilities. The government is responsible for developing the policies and climate that provide conditions for success. The industry must work to be recognized as a responsible corporate and environmental member of the community. The public and non-governmental organizations have the responsibility to become informed about natural resource management issues and to constructively contribute to a process that addresses not only their own, but a range of objectives and interests. All stakeholders have the responsibility to identify and resolve legitimate concerns, and the government, industry, and the public must cooperate at the regional and local levels in planning for sustainable aggregate extraction. Sustainable practices need not always be conducted under the title of sustainability. Many governments are beginning to develop sustainability programs; however, these efforts generally stop short of including aggregate resources. Despite the lack of government policy promoting sustainability, some aggregate companies in the United States and elsewhere have already begun implementing the concepts of sustainability without waiting for government involvement. You might think that I was joking earlier in this article about my monologues with Donovan. Actually, I have discovered that at this stage of his life, Donovan is thoroughly content to listen to Grandpa talk about many aspects of the aggregate industry — even sustainability. Unlike with most speaking engagements, when talking with Donovan, the ultimate compliment comes when the audience falls asleep. William H. Langer is a geologist with the Mineral Resources Team of the U.S. Geological Survey.