Sensing a Sand Crisis
(This video is longer than most used in the NVIV series. If you need a shorter one, take a look at the archived items on the project page.)
The number one most-consumed raw material worldwide is water. Number two? It’s sand.
Sand is used for concrete, glass, and more, and the world uses lots of it. For one thinking of the expanse of the great deserts, though, and wondering how there could be a shortage of sand, the short answer is, “That isn’t the sand we’re talking about.”
Think about how messages work. The idea that we’re running out of sand may seem laughable, but when it’s explained that the sand that is really useful to us is mined from shallow coastal waters and riverbeds, you might quickly get a sense that the economic and environmental problems are huge.
Think about other often-discussed problems. Is there a disconnect between how some problems are normally described and what the issues actually are? In effect, can overly simple descriptions create more complex problems?
Have you ever tried to explain something to someone, been surprised when that person became angry, and then realized that the person didn’t understand what you meant because you hadn’t provided enough detail? Is that different, in terms of communication, than the situation with sand?
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Why The World Is Running Out Of Sand by CNBC on YouTube (9:49)
The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Videos) series of posts is written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts. For more information about how to use the variety of materials on our free site, feel free to contact us.