How a worldwide sand shortage could impact the design world
Later this month, Dutch Design Week will host a symposium entitled “The Abundance and Scarcity of Sand.” Notable speakers include geologist and author Michael Welland, as well as Denis Delestrac, whose 2013 documentary, Sand Wars, showcased the lengths that contractors and smugglers alike will go to hoard and sell a commodity second only to freshwater, in terms of consumption.
French beaches’ sand for sale illegally on internet
A french mayor discovered that sand from the town’s local beach, was for sale on the internet. Maybe rather inconspicuous at first glance, this occurence instead reveals far deeper tensions related to the exploitation of this finite ressources.
The world hungers for sand
The ravenous hunger for sand worldwide was spotlighted in the 2013 documentary “Sand Wars” by French filmmaker Denis Delestrac, which warned that illegal sand mining could make beaches a thing of the past by the end of the 21st century.
Six square kilometers of Istanbul’s land reclaimed from the sea
Six square kilometers of land have been gained from Istanbul coasts and opened for urban use by filling up the sea. With the acceleration of such infrastructure work at the start of the millennium, professionals are warning about risks.
Where can you find sand and sandbags ahead of Irma? Not the beach
Sandbags are being made available at several locations around our area, but there’s one place where you can’t get sand for sandbags: the beach. It is illegal to take sand from the beach for sandbags.
A looming tragedy of the sand commons
Because of the difficulty in regulating their consumption, common-pool resources are prone to tragedies of the commons as people may selfishly extract them without considering long-term consequences, eventually leading to overexploitation or degradation. Even when sand mining is regulated, it is often subject to rampant illegal extraction and trade.
Sand Mining: Growing Pains of Cross-Border Trade
When powerful storms strike, like Typhoon Hato in southern China or Hurricane Harvey in Texas, the surging water scatters tons of sand – an essential ingredient required for the rebuilding soon to follow. Such storms add to growing global demand for sand with poor consequences for the economy and environment.
Why Sardinia’s tourists taking sand as souvenir face fine
Famed for its pristine beaches, the Mediterranean island of Sardinia has hit back at holidaymakers who have been pinching its sand.
Kenya’s sand wars
Communities are pitted against sand harvesters, powerful cartels and one another as demand for sand in Kenya grows.