"The Deadly Global War for Sand"

"Apart from water and air, humble sand is the natural resource most consumed by human beings. People use more than 40 billion tons of sand and gravel every year." There’s so much demand that riverbeds and beaches around the world are being stripped bare. The demand is so strong that islands are disappearing and organized crime often controls production.

Vince Beiser reports for Wired March 26, 2015.