Is the world running out of sand?

[♦ nivek ♦]

This article is not especially "science". Is part Op-Ed and in turn mixture of potentials related to serious environmental concerns related to removal of sands.  Makes for ain interesting read.

 

Is the world running out of sand?

Quote

The Observer Coastlines

 

Is the world running out of sand? The truth behind stolen beaches and dredged islands

 

The insatiable demand of the global building boom has unleashed an illegal market in sand. Gangs are now stealing pristine beaches to order and paradise islands are being dredged and sold to the construction industry

 

...huge snippage 

 

kL

[florduh]

Sand is the new oil. My guess is the world will be literally destroyed by corporate greed long before an asteroid hits us.

 

Look for bridge and seawall collapses as the sand continues to disappear from where it should be.

[LogicalFallacy]

I think this is part of the overall problems we face. With GW, pollution, resource depletion, and increasing population something's going to give.

 

I know some folks don't like doomsday talk after coming from Christianity, but in this case its not unfounded doomsday talk... its reasonable mathematic extrapolations of current consumption factoring increasing population and therefore increasing consumption.

 

What is sad is I've heard some people say that the third world should stay third world so that this pressure on the earth is not exacerbated so that those people don't have to change their comfy western lifestyle.

[mwc]

     I'd say no.  But people are helping themselves to the easily gotten sand.  Sand that is best suited for their purposes.  That's how it always goes.

 

     It's sort of the reverse of illegal dumping.  Do it right, which costs time and money (maybe other hassles), or toss it into the ditch.

 

          mwc

 

[Aries256]

Well xtians seem to have a lot of sand in their.....

so its not surprising