Science and Technology   If it's not grown, its mined  Robert
Hayes Modified: June 26, 2013 at 3:20 pm •  Published: June 18,
2013  I can only think of a single instance where a bumper
sticker ever galvanized my outlook on anything.  Years ago  I
saw a bumper sticker which read, “If it’s not grown, its
mined”.  The truth of that statement resonated with me because I
was quickly able to see that all the resources we use to make
everything we have around us came from either something grown or
something mined.  Obviously wood and food is grown but metal,
salt, rocks, minerals and even the oil we use to make plastics
has to be pulled from the ground.  This of course includes all
forms of mining from deep underground hard rock mines to
solution mining, without these we would not have glass,
sheetrock, tiles or steel. There would be no concrete, no
bricks, no silver or gold not even copper for modern electricity
and plumbing.  Just digging up rocks is simply not enough to
extract the elements and minerals sought af