Illegal Mining Heralds Era Of “Sand Wars”

Forget nuclear wars or a shortage of water - Illegal Mining and the start of the sand wars has just begun

When illegal mining is mentioned, the first thing that generally comes to mind is the African blood diamond trade, which is probably the most widely recognized illegal mining industry in the world. Illegal mining for other highly valued commodities such as gold, silver, and platinum may also come to mind. However, today there is one common commodity that is increasingly being mined without permission: sand.

Sand has many uses across the industrialized world. The commodity is used in glass and concrete build cities, in detergents and cosmetics that people use daily, and in the silicon chips and solar...