The world is running out of sand (slrpnk.net)

submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I can hardly believe I’m not joking. And there’s chatter that “we are addicted to sand” (like the oil mantra).

Permacomputing people can rejoice.. our community will grow because of this.

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[-] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I don’t know enough about semiconductors to know if the energy consumption of making sand from stones would be the most economical direction, or if waste glass could replace it. Either way this will drive up prices of new electronics and make old electronics more appealing.

I don’t even get why sand is being mined from riverbeds. Aren’t there vast deserts with sand?

(edit) Just got my answer on desert sand: it’s so round it’s useless for building. (though I don’t get why desert sand can’t be used for glass and semiconductors so angular sand can be reserved for building)

(edit 2) Manufacturing sand is indeed being considered in situations where sand is strongly needed. But alternatives are being sought to avoid the cost of manufacturing sand, like shredded plastic and adobe blocks for building.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Fair point. It will disrupt/impede the industry and hopefully push consumers to reuse old tech.

I'm certain corporations will find a way to exploit another resource to maintain profitability. Trying everything else before doing what's right.

this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2024

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"In a time where computing epitomizes industrial waste, permacomputing encourages the maximizing of hardware lifespans, minimizing energy use and focussing on the use of already available computational resources." (from the permacomputing wiki)