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"The Dwindling Sphere" is a 5000 word short story by Willard Hawkins, which was originally published in the March, 1940 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. The story takes place over many millenia, and is one of the earliest attempts to deal with ecology and the depletion of Earth's natural resources.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

Plot

A scientist named Frank Baxter, in 1945, uses neutron bombardment to create a new substance called plastocene, which eventually becomes the basis of a new super-economy, which he and his descendants control. By the year 2065, plastocene is used to produce food; but the resulting society is unstable. The masses are not allowed to engage in any productive enterprises, and a revolution is around the corner. In the year 2654 one of the original scientist's descendants does a 4 week work stint (all that is required) to provide the raw materials to make plastocene; he wonders if the raw materials will ever run out. In the year 10,487 a war is concluded, the cause of which was national disputes over the size of the pits dug out to provide raw materials to make plastocene (many of the pits crossed international borders). Finally, in the very distant future, mankind has completely forgotten the pre-plastocene days. Earth has been mined to the point where it is now as small as the moon, but people think that’s the way it’s always been, it is still inconceivable to anyone that the Earth’s natural resources could ever run out.

Additional Notes

This story has been reprinted in, among other things, Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 2 (1940). In his introduction in that anthology, Martin Greenberg says this story "was rescued from oblivion by Laurence M. Janifer, who reprinted it in Master's Choice."