How many consumers understand the important relationship between raw commodities and our technologically-rich world?  Do they understand the value of primary industry in both developed and developing countries?  Our guess is that, between their busy lives and relentless media campaigns advocating environmental protection, the average consumer has little interest in thinking through how our modern economy, and the technology that powers it, traces its origins to the building blocks produced by oil, gas and mining.

Prime examples are commodities such as Tantalum Ore, lithium and cobalt, the products of which are used in the manufacture of electrical components such as capacitors and lithium-based batteries; which, in turn, power our large and small electronics.  Where do these ores come from, how are they made available to manufacturers and how do  producers and producer countries benefit economically?  A discussion it its own right.

Oil, in all its variations, does significantly more than heat our homes, power our vehicles and lubricate machinery.  Included in the more than 5000 products made from oil are: plastics and composite building materials, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, soft contact lenses, cosmetics, vitamin capsules, electronics housings, printed circuit boards, tires and seals, high-tech clothing, corrosion protection, coatings and paints.  Oil, natural gas and minerals are used to create compounds which become the building blocks for virtually all manufactured goods.

As global population expands and demand for power, food, shelter and manufactured goods grows, our societies are moving toward a more technologically advanced and integrated future.  Some countries are leading the way in development of technology while others supply the raw materials and still others manufacture and assemble goods.  Extraction, processing and transportation of raw materials is a key component in this inter-national cooperative; without which, most economies would grind to a halt in short order.