The world is 'running out of sand’: the rise of the sand mafia

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.