803 



-27- 



and productivity in the nation's industrial plant {both to improve efficiency 

 of use of materials and fuels, and to generate the export earnings necessary 

 to pay for imports). The long lead times inherent in reaching these 

 objectives mandates early conmitment of R*D to these tasks, even though they 

 are long-term in nature. 



It should be noted that the changing price and availability of materials 

 and energy may change critically the comparative advantage of some American 

 industries. The adjustments necessary to allow the orderly decline of those 

 industries will themselves set up serious political and economic strains. 



The need for R&D in the resource area is coupled with an inadequate data 

 base both in the U.S. and globally. 10 Basic understanding of geological 

 deposition in the earth's crust, of the determinants of the level and 

 efficiency of the exploratioh process, and of the impact of the changing 

 industrial structure in minerals on the flow of mineral supplies, are all 

 inadequate. n Thus, it is critical that a greatly improved data and 

 analytical system, and R&D commitment, be developed. 



These tasks will require reinvigoration of concerned U.S. Government 

 agencies, especially the Bureau of Mines and the Geological Survey, and may 

 also require a new institutional means to develop an objective, credible data 

 base (technical and economic) to provide adequate information for 

 resource -related decisions across the government. In addition, improved means 

 for materials policy coordination in government is required to avoid 



lOVogely, p. 28. 

 l^Vogely, p. 28. 



