Are We Running Out of Precious Elements?

Chemical elements are integral to our modern technology and even to the origins of life itself – but what would happen if we were to run out of them?
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Our panel of experts discusses how our modern consumer culture could see us permanently using up our supply of some elements, and what we can all do to safeguard them for future generations.

Andrea Sella is a synthetic inorganic chemist, teacher of chemistry, and presenter of chemistry in public both live on stage, on radio and television, and through social media.

Margaret Bates has been involved in waste management for over 25 years and undertook her PhD on landfill microbiology.

Janet Gunter is an activist & anthropologist who co-founded the Restart Project in 2013 to address the throwaway, consumerist model of electronics and growing mountain of e-waste that it’s leaving behind. You can find out more about the Restart Project here: https://therestartproject.org/

Tim Gabriel is a Lecturer in Chemical Sciences at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he teaches Chemistry to laboratory scientist degree apprentices based in small to blue-chip chemical companies located all over England.

This event is chaired by Victoria Gill, an award-winning science correspondent for BBC News, who’s reported on everything from missions to Mars to plastic pollution on Earth.

This event was organised in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry.

This talk and Q&A was filmed in the Ri on 20 November 2019.

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