Irrigation reestablished farming in the area. In non-agricultural soil, minerals are recycled by decomposition of plant and animal material in the soil. Agriculture removes plant material from the soil with the minerals. Fertilizer must be added to replace lost minerals. A blast of heated air melts iron from ore.
Molten iron is removed while impurities remain as slag.
Smelting produces environmentally harmful air pollutants. Minerals are obtained from the earth, refined, manufactured, used, and discarded. Each step produces massive amounts of waste. During the production of energy, food, and other goods, resource recovery is maximized and waste production is minimized. Biological Diversity is in decline.