From: matthew.malthouse@guardian.co.uk
Date: Wed, 6 Mar 2002 13:14:37 +0000
Subject: Re: (urth) Re: The irrigation of Lune




On 06/03/2002 10:48:40 Andy Robertson wrote:

>Metal is not used up except in tiny quantities by atomic reactions and
>stuff, and the very small amounts that leave in spaceships.
>
>So it is really a matter of the energy to gather it together and refine
it.
>
>But I remember some interviews with Wolfe where he says that copper and
even
>iron are "running out" . . . .    either he has the wrong idea or he is
>taking large artistic license.


Perhaps the word "Accessible" should be in there?  The Commonwealth of
Severian's time has access to space flight but only as provided for them,
not to do with as they will.  The the long inhabitation having exhausted
the metals exctracted as ores "mining" becomes the recovery and recycling
operation of Saltus.

Urth cannot be litterally exhausted of metals because part of the promise
of the New Sun is a renewal and we see that achieved bu the upheavals that
"drown continents" etc.

Matthew



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