Each year, the iconic "Minerals Baby" reminds us all of the importance of minerals and other mined substances to our lives and lifestyles. This year's statistics reflect a slight decrease in the mined materials needed to provide for the average American born in 2011, with an expected lifespan of 78.3 years, when compared with the previous year. The value of producing this annual, easy-to-read visual is that it can be used by a variety of nontechnical audiences, from K-12 teachers presenting lessons to school children to Congressional committees pressing for legislative changes to federal policies.
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