42 – The Answer to Almost Everything

Whether it's your cell phone, glass, or underwear, sand is everywhere. Without it, there would be no houses or roads. “Without sand, we would be lost,” emphasizes environmental scientist Pascal Peduzzi. According to the UN Environment Program, each person consumes about 17 kilograms of sand every day, and that number is rising. Our consumption is causing problems. Ecosystems around the world are being destroyed by sand mining. “People are losing their lives because of this resource that we take for granted,” explains Kiran Pereira from Stockholm University. But why? Isn't sand an endless resource? What is our sand problem?