As demand for copper surges due to its use in electronics and renewable energy, there's a growing realization in mainstream media of potential future shortages.
TL;DR the world is running out of easily extracted copper at an alarming rate
We have ran out of easily extracted copper several times already.
Minerals are not oil: they have a geological availability and you can always find them by digging deeper.
Journalists routinely misinterpret reserve estimations: when production outpaces exploration (there is a lag between a rise in the former and a rise in the later) official reserves (known supplies, identified as economical) can look extremely low, but no, we wont run out of them anytime soon.
Note: this is valid for rare earths as well. We may have punctual problems of production which will still cause problems, but it is not a case of “running out” of it like we have for oil.
We have ran out of easily extracted copper several times already.
Minerals are not oil: they have a geological availability and you can always find them by digging deeper.
Journalists routinely misinterpret reserve estimations: when production outpaces exploration (there is a lag between a rise in the former and a rise in the later) official reserves (known supplies, identified as economical) can look extremely low, but no, we wont run out of them anytime soon.
Note: this is valid for rare earths as well. We may have punctual problems of production which will still cause problems, but it is not a case of “running out” of it like we have for oil.