The world's ability to support its population is sustained by the many products provided by the mining and metals industry.
Consider a world without advanced manufacturing, agriculture or mass-scale energy production.
Virtually all of mankind's needs must be dug from the earth, grown in the soil, or taken from the sea.
It is estimated, for instance, that we need to produce more than 40,000 pounds of new minerals a year for every man, woman and child living in the United States. As the global population grows, increased demand for electronics, medicine, telecommunications, transportation and housing will accelerate the worldwide demand for minerals.
Limestone is one of those minerals. Aside from the many vital uses to which lime itself is put, limestone and quicklime products are used to help extract many of the other minerals the world relies on.