I thank Dr. A. M. Diederen for detailing the current and projected states of mineral resources and the mitigations needed to avoid even more severe shocks to the world economy.

"Managed Austerity" is indeed the primary way we can avoid the fate of every yeast population in a contained environment (such as a vat of beer). Convincing ourselves that we should take measures to do so will be difficult when some politicians will seek election on promises of a return to the seductive lifestyle of conspicuous overconsumption and bountiful leisure (which always seems just out of grasp).

It's little wonder China has been buying up mineral resource rights around the world with their cash reserves.

Aided by Financial Crisis, China Snaps Up Natural Resources

Chinese companies have been on a shopping spree in the past month, snapping up tens of billions of dollars' worth of key assets in Iran, Brazil, Russia, Venezuela, Australia and France in a global fire sale set off by the financial crisis.

The deals have allowed China to lock up supplies of oil, minerals, metals and other strategic natural resources it needs to continue to fuel its growth. The sheer scope of the agreements marks a shift in global finance, roiling energy markets and feeding worries about the future availability and prices of those commodities in other countries that compete for them, including the United States.

China strengthens its hold on global mineral resources

China has strengthened its position as a leading global producer of minerals with
the recent breakthrough agreement for Minmetal to buy the Australian miner Oz
Minerals, the world’s second biggest producer of zinc and a substantial producer
of copper, lead, gold and silver.

Chinalco to buy new shares in Rio Tinto rights issue

Chinalco has decided to participate in the $15.2-billion rights issue of global miner Rio Tinto.

China's State-owned nonferrous mineral processor has made up its mind to buy new shares this week offered by Rio Tinto to maintain its shareholding ratio in the company. At present, Chinalco is the single largest shareholder of Rio Tinto, controlling 9.3 percent of its total shares.