Presented are 36 articles originally published in "Science" during 1973-75. The articles are divided into six sections entitled: (1) Policy Considerations; (2) Energy, Environment and Conservation; (3) Perspectives on Needs and Supplies of Resources; (4) Finding the Processing Minerals; (5) High Technology Materials; and (6) Wood and Plant Materials. Some of the topics discussed are: (1) international trade in raw materials; (2) basic research in materials; (3) energy implications of materials processing; (4) limits to exploitation of nonrenewable resources; (5) chemicals from coal; (6) seawater and the geochemistry of ore formation; (7) brittle ceramic materials for high temperature structures; and (8) the national forests. (BB)