An ABC of nonrenewable–renewable resource interactions: Antibiotics, biofuels, carbon decay, expropriation, forestry, …

When there is a larger scope for replacing non-renewable resource use by renewable resources, resource depletion can be more easily avoided. However institutional failures may prevent this advantage to materialize. We offer a unified framework showing how this insight applies to the following highly different situations analyzed in six different papers. First, a more parsimonious use of Antibiotics may reduce the decay of antibiotic efficacy. Second, biofuels introduced in energy supply allow for reduced energy prices and fossil depletion. Third, when a larger fraction of carbon decays, a larger part of fossil reserves can be exploited. Fourth, limiting disruption of the climate enhances carbon decay. Fifth, expropriation of harvest slows down depletion, while free access to a resource accelerates it. Sixth, forest cover depletion is slowed down when trees grow faster.