Mineral economics: Overview of a discipline

摘要: Abstract Mineral economics is the academic discipline that investigates and promotes understanding of economic policy issues associated with production use mineral commodities. While its origins can be traced back at least 200 years to writings David Ricardo other early Classical economists, it emerged as a separate field only after World War II then primarily in United States. As discipline, roots are found mining schools needed consider milieu which minerals sold. geologists, engineers, others technical backgrounds were largely responsible for creating first stand-alone mineral-economics programs, ultimately trained economists became participants well. Moreover, even rise departments, most research continued continues carried out units, including traditional departments engineering schools, well government agencies, nonprofit organizations, consulting firms, international organizations. In decades following II, fears new depression excess capacity evaporated, focused on long-run availability nonrenewable commodities threat supply interruptions strategic critical from Middle East, Soviet Union, southern Africa, concerns persisted through 1980s. The relationship between companies governments (with particular attention taxes ways sharing benefits mining) was another important issue, more interests, market analysis (mainly, price demand forecasts), project evaluation, monopoly antitrust issues. Since then, has spread North American base around globe. range topics addressed grown now includes environmental impact use, resource curse, China India major consumers, indigenous people local communities, host This article examines nature economics, emergence distinct recent evolution. It concludes few observations about future.