The End of Sand

Yogita Limaye investigates concerns, highlighted in a United Nations study, that vitally important reserves of sand are running out, with serious consequences for human society and the planet.

Sand is almost literally the foundation of our society. Nearly everything we build in the modern world has a concrete foundation and you cannot make concrete without sand. But it takes thousands of years to form and we’re consuming it faster than it is being replenished.

(Photo: Chinese Labourers Mine Sand On The Outskirts Of Beijing. Credit: Getty Images)