
The world is 'running out of sand’: the rise of the sand mafia - adrian_mrd
https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-11/illegal-sand-trade-india-mafia-murders-vince-beiser/11779570
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rshnotsecure
Until recently I did not realize how severe this was.

The main reason is China. In 2010 they used more concrete than all of the
United States from 1900 - 2000. Mind boggling. Since concrete is essentially
25% sand or gravel this makes a big dent.

A small but interesting cause of China using so much concrete is the
intricacies behind GDP calculation. Essentially building a skyscraper and
tearing it down both count towards GDP. Thus if any province is behind on the
GDP numbers you will see a rush of construction followed by a rush of
demolition...completely pointless.

Also some have commented on the destruction of Uyghur cemeteries by the
Chinese as if it’s some Nazi cultural extermination campaign. While I get the
comparison it’s really about the gravel in the end. Gravestone robbery is
actually a pretty significant worldwide problem, as they can be usually ground
up and sold for a quite a bit. This is the motive in Xinjiang for the Chinese.

Supposedly China is also pushing cremation because the ash can be used for
treating acidic soil but also as a substitute for sand in concrete.

