Excerpts: “Though we use sand for thousands of purposes, concrete is really driving that crisis. More sand particles are pressed into service to make concrete than all those used for asphalt, glass, fracking, and beach nourishment put together” (p. 217).

“There are more than 220 Chinese cities with over a million inhabitants; the entire continent of Europe has only 35. Upwards of half a billion Chinese now live in urban areas, triple the total of sixty years ago. That’s about the same as the total combined population of the United States, Canada, and Mexico” (p. 219).

“Hardly any of the concrete structures that now exist are capable of enduring two centuries, and many will begin disintegrating after fifty years. In short, we have built a disposable world using a short-lived material, the manufacture of which generates millions of tons of greenhouse gases. Most of the concrete structure built at the beginning of the twentieth century have begun falling apart, and most will be, or already have been, demolished” (p. 231).

“That might just be the beginning of the impact of dwindling sand supplies on the world economy. One key reason everything is made of concrete is that it’s relatively cheap. If the cost of making a new building or road were to spike, it could hit regional and even national economies like an oil shock” (p. 238).

“It’s also crucial to bear this in mind: The speed and scale of change in today’s world is utterly without precedent” (p. 252).

Beiser, Vince. (2018). The World In A Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization. New York: Riverhead Books.