The World Is Running Out of Sand
By Aurora Torres, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research; Jianguo "Jack" Liu, Michigan State University; Jodi Brandt, Boise State University, and Kristen Lear, University of Georgia | September 8, 2017 12:12pm ET
When people picture sand spread across idyllic beaches and endless deserts, they understandably think of it as an infinite resource. But as we discuss in a just-published perspective in the journal Science, over-exploitation of global supplies of sand is damaging the environment, endangering communities, causing shortages and promoting violent conflict.
Skyrocketing demand, combined with unfettered mining to meet it, is creating the perfect recipe for shortages. Plentiful evidence strongly suggests that sand is becoming increasingly scarce in many regions. For example, in Vietnam domestic demand for sand exceeds the country's total reserves. If this mismatch continues, the country may run out of construction sand by 2020, according to recent statements from the country's Ministry of Construction.
This problem is rarely mentioned in scientific discussions and has not been systemically studied. Media attention drew us to this issue. While scientists are making a great effort to quantify how infrastructure systems such as roads and buildings affect the habitats that surround them, the impacts of extracting construction minerals such as sand and gravel to build those structures have been overlooked. Two years ago we created a working group designed to provide an integrated perspective on global sand use.
In our view, it is essential to understand what happens at the places where sand is mined, where it is used and many impacted points in between in order to craft workable policies. We are analyzing those questions through a systems integration approach that allows us to better understand socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances and time. Based on what we have already learned, we believe it is time to develop international conventions to regulate sand mining, use and trade.
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https://www.livescience.com/60349-world-running-out-of-sand.html?utm_source=notification
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Or the Gobi in Asia.
Interesting... a sand shortage.
D'ya know what we're short of?
That's right. Dun-Dun-DUNNNNN!
Sandworms!
