time to buy?, page-5

Just some light reading for ya.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_copper

High lights.

Total world production is about 15 million tons per year.[3] Copper demand is increasing by more than 575,000 tons annually and accelerating.[1] Based on 2006 figures for per capita consumption, Tom Graedel and colleagues at Yale University calculate that by 2100 global demand for copper will outstrip the amount extractable from the ground.[4] China accounts for more than 22% of world copper demand.[5]

Globally, economic copper resources are being depleted with the equivalent production of three world-class copper mines being consumed annually.[1] Environmental analyst Lester Brown has suggested copper might run out within 25 years based on what he considered a reasonable extrapolation of 2% growth per year.[6]