MINERALS 235 



behind Boulder Dam, the rolling gracing lands that slope away 

 from the Mogollon Rim in Arizona, the architectural groves of 

 redwoods on the Redwood Highway. In the localities from 

 which man takes iron and gold and oil it is plain that some' 

 thing is being consumed. There are great pits in the earth, en' 

 gines pumping and digging. On the other hand, the farms, 

 water-supply projects, ranges, do not look as if they were being 

 consumed in this very direct and relentless manner. Differences 

 in appearance often don't mean very much. In this case, how 

 ever, they are very important. They are a sign of the funda' 

 mental difference between the uses of mineral resources and 

 the use of the resources of the soil and water. 



The soil and water may be used in cooperation with the 

 processes of nature. And as long as man cooperates with nature, 

 these resources grow and reproduce themselves. Insofar as he 

 uses them correctly, he is simply carrying on a natural process. 

 Consequently, man's use of these resources looks natural. A 

 herd of gracing cattle, a field of grain fits into a landscape; an 

 ore pit does not. 



The use of mineral resources has nothing to do with cooper' 

 ating with nature. Nature stored the minerals in the earth. 

 Man uses them, but he can do nothing to make more grow for 

 the future. He simply takes them and leaves the scars behind. 



You can see from this that the first type of resources, the 

 resources of soil, land, and water, are part of something which 

 may continue for all time. The use of mineral resources, is, on 

 the other hand, temporary. It is not part of something which 

 naturally continues forever. 



There is another difference between soil and water resources 

 and mineral resources. The first type, with a few exceptions 

 like the production of hydro'electric power, have a single main 

 job. That is to nourish and support life. The mineral resources, 

 on the other hand, are not life supporting. Instead, they sup' 



