"we have already used up much of the easily accessible resources like coal or metals. Every following civilization would not have these available to kick start their industrial revolution."
On the other hand, some would argue metals are now more available than ever since they're in high quantities in landfills and cities. And while it is true that much of the easily accessible coal has been used up, some deposits are still easy to access, or so I'm told.
Yeah that is a good point. But it also means that these resources are somewhat concentrated. I would assume that a vast majority of those a concentrated in the United States, Central Europe and maybe China. So, if for example humanity mostly survives in Africa then they would be cut off from most of these metals.
Concerning the coal, I also am aware of that argument, and it makes sense to me that there is still coal in easily accessible places, like there are several mines not that far from me in Germany. However, I would still assume that the easiest ways to access coal are long gone, because it does not really make any sense that we would use the more difficult ones first.
"we have already used up much of the easily accessible resources like coal or metals. Every following civilization would not have these available to kick start their industrial revolution."
On the other hand, some would argue metals are now more available than ever since they're in high quantities in landfills and cities. And while it is true that much of the easily accessible coal has been used up, some deposits are still easy to access, or so I'm told.
More discussion on this in Belfield 2023: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003331384-6/collapse-recovery-existential-risk-haydn-belfield
Yeah that is a good point. But it also means that these resources are somewhat concentrated. I would assume that a vast majority of those a concentrated in the United States, Central Europe and maybe China. So, if for example humanity mostly survives in Africa then they would be cut off from most of these metals.
Concerning the coal, I also am aware of that argument, and it makes sense to me that there is still coal in easily accessible places, like there are several mines not that far from me in Germany. However, I would still assume that the easiest ways to access coal are long gone, because it does not really make any sense that we would use the more difficult ones first.