The world is running out of sand — and you’d be surprised how significant that is

From the Financial Post

China has devoured more sand in the past four years than the United States did throughout the 20th century. Dubai, a city built on a desert, had to import the sand used in the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa, from Australia. In India, sand has become such a hot commodity that it has been taken over by “sand mafias” who illegally mine and sell it on the black market.

The demand for sand is on the rise as urban development around the world soars and hydraulic fracturing technology becomes more popular in places such as the U.S. and Alberta.

Though most people have never thought twice about the supply of the seemingly plentiful grains, a growing number of observers are ringing the alarm that the global supply of sand is slipping through our fingers.

Read the article in the Financial Post.