Webinar Details (Archive)

Metals, Sustainability, and Society

The Importance of Economic Geology

Date: Thursday, November 17, 2022

Time: 1:00pm - 3:30pm MST (UTC-7)

Location: Online using Zoom

This free webinar will consist of two 30-minute presentations, followed by a Q&A session and discussion with the speakers. The speakers have been chosen for their professional expertise as well as their passion and enthusiasm for engaging with students and early career professionals within the geosciences. Advance registration is required.

Register

Presenter Slides

Sarah Gordon John Thompson

Description

Join us for a free webinar that will provide participants with greater insight into the significance of economic geology and the pivotal role that it plays within our modern society. As the renewable energy sector continues its unprecedented global growth, so too does the demand for the critical minerals and materials that comprise these new and evolving technologies. This webinar explores how human development and the increasing demand for minerals are interlinked, and the implications this has for the future of society and the science of economic geology.

Presentations

Economic Geology for a Sustainable World

John Thompson

Summarizing the history of economic geology over the past 100 years and placing it in the context of current demand, John will illustrate how today's need for metals is being driven by the global energy transition and climate change. The critical role of economic geology in the discovery and responsible development of new resources will be discussed, as well as the need for increased multi-disciplinary collaboration across the geosciences and other disciplines to successfully address both resource and related societal challenges.

Responsible Mining — What the World Expects of Us

Sarah Gordon

With the ever-increasing importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in the resource industry, Sarah will explore the evolution and future of ESG within the context of economic geology. Showing that sustainable mining operations are possible, and that with the proper partnerships and oversight the exploration industry has the potential to deliver huge social, financial, and even environmental value back to society. The presentation will also discuss blatant examples of greenwashing, as well as what is truly needed by stakeholders and the metals industry itself to ensure a lasting and meaningful ESG impact.