The Copper Development Association (CDA) hosted a two-day conference Sept. 13-14, 2007, in Oak Brook, IL, focusing on global market trends and the effect they will have on the future of the copper industry. The conference featured 10 sessions focusing on:

• Copper Sustainability and Substitution

• The Auto Future: Round or Flat?

• The Clean Tech Revolution

• How a Connected Future Influences the Evolution of Copper Business Opportunities

• Emerging Energy-Saving Technologies for Buildings

• Consumer Insights Into the Future of the Connected Home

• The Global Economic Outlook

• Implications of REACH for North American Companies

• Emerging Heat Transfer Technology to Enable the Sustainable Energy Revolution in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

• Legislative Update: Lead in Plumbing

On a positive note, Dr. Robert Ayres, professor emeritus, environment and management, INSEAD, reassured the audience of CDA members and copper industry professionals that we have not yet exhausted the earth’s supply of copper, and he predicted that it will be many years before there is any need to worry about coming to the end of our deposits.

Unfortunately, economist Mark Zandi offered a less encouraging analysis of the global economy, as well as the national economic outlook, stating that although he was optimistic that an economic recession for the U.S. is not imminent, he also noted that analysts had calculated a 40% probability that a recession may indeed be on the horizon in as little as six to 12 months.

Look for more compelling statements from both of these speakers and several others from the copper conference in an upcoming issue of Supply House Times.