Professor Priscilla P. Nelson: Subsurface Space as an Earth Resource

Our world has changed in many ways over the past decade, in particular. The drivers for change include the growing understanding of the finiteness of the carrying capacity of the earth. The growing population has led to urban expansion, and to challenges in human and industrial waste management, disease control, ecology and habitat issues, and behavioral changes
and social tensions related to food and water availability, social justice and equity. The fragility of the global supply chain and the realization of the impacts of climate change are driving the energy transition and the need for critical metals and minerals. What is the role of the earth resource of underground space in addressing these world changes? This seminar will address the responsibilities and opportunities for the mining and construction industries to be leaders in the path towards a sustainable
global future. We must be increasingly creative to provide underground space resources that support restoration of earth’s environmental systems and that provide positive outcomes for communities.