Monday, March 8th, 2010
Social Hour 6 PM
Dinner 6:45 PM and Technical Session, at 7:30 PM
Circus - Circus Hotel and Resort
Mandalay Room in Convention Center
(Convention Center is downstairs from casino)
500 N Sierra Street, Reno, NV
Meeting Sponsored by:
780 Vista Boulevard, Suite 100 Sparks, Nevada
Members $22/person and Non-Members $25/person payable at the door
RSVP Required by noon, THURSDAY, March 4th 2010
Call Neville Rhoden at (775) 746-4856 or
click here to send an RSVP via email
Jon Price, State Geologist and Director,
Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
"Minerals for a Green Society"
Abstract - "Minerals for a Green Society" was the title of a symposium sponsored by the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America on 4 February 2010 in Washington, DC. The goals of the symposium were to (1) highlight facts about minerals that are critical for our changing society, including what is needed and how vulnerable the U.S. may be to disruptions in global supply, and (2) provide an opportunity for networking among individuals who are concerned about mineral-supply issues and who can take action to assure U.S. competitiveness in a green economy. Attendees included individuals from the mining and renewable energy industries, federal and state agencies, Congressional staffs, non-governmental organizations, and academia. Speakers covered issues concerning global demand and supply of mineral resources, particularly those that are critical for emerging technologies in energy efficiency and renewable energy, including rare earth elements, lithium, copper, and elements that are likely to be key in photovoltaic solar power generation. They informed the audience about progress made on recommendations of two recent reports of the National Research Council - one dealing with minerals that are critical to the U.S. economy and one dealing with materials for the 21st century military. Discussion included recent dramatic changes in geopolitics of mineral resources, geological and geographic rarity of some resources, tradeoffs and "green choices," recycling, recovery of key elements as byproducts of major metals, and implications of substitution of one element for another in key energy technologies. Copies of the program, slide presentations, major points made by the speakers, and speaker biographies are posted on the MMSA website at www.mmsa.net. The presentation at the SME meeting on March 8th will highlight some key points made at the symposium.
Directions to Circus-Circus:
• From West: Take I-80 East to Exit 13 (Downtown/Virginia Street) turn right on North Sierra Street
• From East: Take I-80 West to Exit 13 (Downtown/Virginia Street, turn left on North Sierra Street, third intersection on the off ramp.
• Best parking (FREE) is in the Circus-Circus Garage on west side of North Sierra Street past 6th Street
• Mandalay Room is the Convention Center, down the escalator just inside the Casino Entrance at the corner of 5th Street and North Sierra Street.
The Northern Nevada Section of SME meets monthly from September until May.