Intersections of Art and Science

Sand Wars: Facing a World Without Sand

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2LkJAAifz4[/youtube]
A Breaking The Set video, published on Youtube, October 24th 2013.

An interview by Abby Martin with Denis Delestrac, director and scriptwriter of the film documentary Sand Wars

Learn More: Sand Wars, The Film
Most of us think of it as a complimentary ingredient of any beach vacation. Yet those seemingly insignificant grains of silica surround our daily lives. Every house, skyscraper and glass building, every bridge, airport and sidewalk in our modern society depends on sand. We use it to manufacture optical fiber, cell phone components and computer chips. We find it in our toothpaste, powdered foods and even in our glass of wine (both the glass and the wine, as a fining agent)!

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?

Based on encounters with sand smugglers, barefoot millionaires, corrupt politicians, unscrupulous real estate developers and environmentalists, this investigation takes us around the globe to unveil a new gold rush and a disturbing fact: the “SAND WARS” have begun…

sand-wars-denis-delestrac
Photo courtesy of: © Denis Delestrac

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