After fresh water, sand is the most consumed natural resource on the planet. As a logical consequence of this exploitation, sand's limited reserves are threatened today. "Sand wars," triggered by building booms, are raging everywhere in the world and 3/4 of the planet's beaches are in decline and bound to disappear, victims of erosion and - as hard it might be to comprehend - smuggling. Most of us see sand as a free material, a staple of holidays spent on the shore, in unlimited supply. Sand is everywhere around us, be it beach, desert or town. Every house, every skyscraper with a dazzling glass front, all our bridges, airports and sidewalks - are basically made of sand. We use it as well to make fiber optic cable, mobile phone components and computer chips. We even slip some into our toothpaste, our food, our glass of wine. But is this omnipresent material inexhaustible? Can the available quantity match an ever-increasing demand that is constantly fed by the need for human lodging and expansion? What will be the consequences of intensive sand extraction on the environment and life on the planet? In tracking sand's "new" smugglers, corrupt politicians, unscrupulous property developers, and the ecologists trying to halt the erosion and disappearance of beaches, this investigation will take us around the world to witness this new gold rush firsthand. The "sand wars" has started. Who is ready to lead?
Sand Wars
Is sand an infinite resource? Can the existing supply satisfy a gigantic demand fueled by construction booms? What are the consequences of intensive beach sand mining for the environment and the neighboring populations?
