Sand is the second-most commonly used resource on Earth and its environmental and social impacts are massive
As William Blake famously wrote, “To see a World in a Grain of Sand / And a Heaven in a Wild Flower” is to “Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand / And Eternity in an hour.” But as innocuous, ubiquitous and just plain mundane sand can be, it can also be the source of significant conflict and violence while often being extracted to the detriment of our planet.
When the term “conflict mineral” is used, people often think of precious stones like rubies or valuable fuels like coal. Certainly the industry of mining those rocks is fraught with controversy and peril, yet even the most seemingly ubiquitous minerals can serve as the source of conflict. But is sand really in the same category as cobalt and blood diamonds?
According to a 2022 United Nations report, sand is the second-most consumed resource on Earth, surpassed only by water. And just like water, humans are consuming sand at an unsustainable rate — increasing by 6 percent every year, to be exact.
As they do, they leave behind a wake of polluted rivers, severe droughts, shrinking aquifers and flooded communities. One statistic especially stands out: China alone has used more construction sand in the last few years than the United States used in the entire 20th century.
For the rest of this article: https://www.salon.com/2024/02/25/unearthing-tension-sand-runs-the-world-but-most-dont-realize-the-conflict-it-generates/