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] 14 points 6 months ago

I support your effort to spread the message about the sand shortage

But I do have to tell you that the construction industry consumes 50 billion metric tons of sand a year and the semiconductor industry makes $650 billion... so every computer chip would have to cost 10 cents and be made completely of silicon and weigh 7 kg each in order to have parity with sand consumption for concrete. I think the price of sand is just gonna go up and they're still gonna keep making new ones. 😢

[-] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Not trying to shit on your parade as I too like sustainability but, can't industries crush/pulverize rounded sand to create angular sand?

I would sooner see corporations burn fuel to power machinery that creates angular sand. As opposed to switching mediums or stopping the unsustainable practices they engage in currently.

[-] [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)