Answer:
D. Minerals cannot be replaced once mined.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the dire consequences of extracting minerals from the earth is that they cannot be replaced.
- As minerals are used, they become more and more depleted with time.
- With usage, minerals can be exhausted.
- Most solid minerals are non-renewable and cannot produce themselves within a short period of time.
- For minerals to form, it takes several millions of years of geological activities combining.
- In order to avert this, most people have been championing the cause of recycling.
Due to the non-renewable nature of most minerals, they cannot be replaced when mined.