- [Male Narrator] The world is our oyster.
Well unfortunately, that's the attitude that we've had
for far too long, and it's the very attitude
that has put us in a rather regrettable situation
when it comes to some of our natural resources.
These are the 10 resources
that we are quickly running out of.
Number 10 is tequila.
You might like margaritas,
but the tequila that goes in the delicious limey beverage
is not exactly easy to make.
It takes 12 years for blue agave plants
to make enough sugar to produce tequila.
While this in and of itself
slows down the tequila making process,
there is another factor that has to do with
the drink's global shortage.
This factor is disease.
Over 20% of Mexico's harvest was affected in the year 2007.
While there is stock to assure
that we never completely run out,
the price of tequila will continue to skyrocket
until the blue agave plants
can be properly harvest once more.
Number nine is natural gas.
Natural gas is what we use
to heat our homes, our stove tops,
and sometimes even how we generate electricity.
Unfortunately, it is also in short supply.
As of this year, our natural gas reserves
only have enough to last the world a little over 52 years.
Considering we have a number of uses for natural gas,
we need to find a solid alternative,
and we'll need to find it soon.
Number eight is coal.
While it may seem like we don't use coal much anymore,
the truth is that we actually do.
Many westernized countries like the United States
have steered away from coal use,
but less regulated countries such as China
continue to use the fossil fuel like there's no tomorrow.
Developing countries have enough coal reserves
to last for just 183 years,
but fortunately, the United States has a little longer,
256 years to be exact, though we can only hope
that the country will cease coal use altogether before then.
Number seven is scandium and terbium.
Scandium and terbium are two of the 17 rare earth elements
that the world is quickly losing.
These rare elements have a number of uses.
You can find them inside of everyday electronics,
in the magnets used to power wind turbines,
and even in fluorescent lighting.
While we do not seem to have a shortage of smart phones,
that doesn't mean that
the parts inside of them come cheaply.
97% of these elements come from China.
The country not only controls the market
for these rare earth elements,
but it also controls most of the world's reserves.
This means that China has the power
to cut off those supplies at any time,
which is a detail that should concern techies everywhere.
Number six is phosphorous.
Whether you knew it or not, we need phosphorous.
We use this chemical to make fertilizer,
meaning it is largely responsible
for how we feed most of the planet.
If we do not find an alternative,
we could run out of phosphorous
and enter a food shortage in as little as 30 years.
As China continues to hoard this resource,
its price continues to rise
by about 2.3% or more every year.
Just between 2007 and 2008,
the price of phosphorous went up 700%.
Countries are becoming so desperate
for this important resource
they are going to extraordinary lengths.
Sweden has actually created toilets
that collect phosphorous from human urine.
Now that's desperation.
You may have noticed that the price of bacon
has risen significantly in the past few years.
That is because we are in the middle
of a worldwide bacon shortage.
Pork products have kept increasing in price
ever since a virus took over the lives of millions of pigs
a few years ago.
Luckily for butchers, many people will continue to purchase
the delicious breakfast food despite the high cost.
Number four is oil.
Also known as black gold, oil is in short supply.
In fact, the general public could face an oil crisis
as soon as the year 2035 if we don't make serious changes
to the global transportation industry.
Considering we already have alternative fuel
such as ethanol, there's no reason for us
to continue to avoid this quickly approaching disaster.
Number three is antibiotics.
Antibiotics are pertinent to maintaining public health,
but to our misfortune,
these drugs have been in a drastic shortage since 2007.
Several different factors have led to this catastrophe,
including regulations, inability to find raw materials,
and even bad business decisions.
Unfortunately, this particular public health crisis
does not look like it will be ending any time soon.
In fact, some of these pharmaceuticals
have been in limited supply for almost 2,000 days.
That's five and a half years.
Number two is chocolate.
Everyone loves chocolate, but unfortunately
you're gonna have to pay for that love eventually.
Cocoa beans only grow
in a very particular region of the world.
To be specific, they only seem to thrive in latitudes
within a 10 degree radius from the Equator.
Since West Africa produces most of the world's cocoa,
the average cocoa farmer only makes about 80 cents a day.
As this region of the world begins to develop,
farmers will rightfully demand more for their labor
and the cost of chocolate will only begin to increase.
Number one is water.
Currently, 2.8 billion people are unable
to find clean fresh water.
Sadly, it does not look like this situation
is going to be improving anytime soon.
Safe drinking water is becoming increasingly scarce
as we stretch the planet's few freshwater resources.
Other contributors to this global problem
include water pollution, overdrafting of groundwater,
and even war.
For more top lists just like this,
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and don't forget to check out our other lists.
And thanks for watching and thanks for learning.
(suspenseful music)