Harry K wrote:

Mostly true but we never recover 100% of the original elements and
never will. The 'pie in the sky' types keep pointing to new
discoveries as if those "new discoveries' will continue to be made for
infinity.


Nothing lasts forever. The Romans denuded all of North Africa and much of
Europe and used the wood for charcoal. Just as the trees were about to run
out, it became practical to mine and exploit coal. (The industrial
revolution was fueled by coal).

While in some places coal is still very economical, oil proved to be more
versatile and, in many instances, cheaper.

Heck, the archetype villain, John D. Rockefeller, and his example of
monoply, Standard Oil, drove the price of Kerosene down from $3.00/gallon to
a nickle. In less than three years. Of course the people who sold
"renewable" energy (i.e., whale oil) squealed and were eventually put out of
business, but for the rest of us, the night was brightened.

Point is, as with trees and whales, even renewables face the same problems
as truffles. There is only so much and only so many pigs to find it.