Soil to foil : aluminum and the quest for industrial sustainability / Saleem H. Ali.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ali, Saleem H. (Saleem Hassan), 1973- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Aluminum.

Aluminum industry and trade.

Mineral resources conservation.

Physical Description:

xx, 293 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Columbia University Press, [2023]

Summary:

"Human progress is often defined by how well particular elements of the earth are harnessed: the bronze age, the iron age, and the silicon age are common delineations of history. Yet the most abundant metal in the earth's crust, which has played a pivotal role in myriad technologies and inventions from aircraft to soda cans - aluminum - has largely been neglected in such grand conversations of technological development. Soil to Foil seeks to use the story of aluminum for broader lessons on sustainable production and consumption of "non-renewable resources." The book explores how scarcity and abundance of natural resources are contested concepts based on energy investments in extraction, modularity/durability of products, and eventual circularity of material flows. The story of aluminum's presence in human technologies is thus a corollary for a broader conversation about how science and industry have challenged natural limits, and how we can more sustainably manage elemental resources of our planet. This book weaves together narratives of scientific inquiry and industrial innovation that inform the element's role in geoscience and engineering"-- Provided by publisher.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Ali, Saleem H. (Saleem Hassan), 1973- Soil to foil

ISBN:

9780231204484

0231204485

OCLC:

1353605830