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Photo: Nicolaj Krog Larsen
We’ve all heard news about ice melting in the arctic. Greenland is no exception. Unlike most arctic coasts badly affected by climate change, Greenland’s coastlines grow as a result of warmer temperatures. When the ice melts and fills rivers with more water river currents become stronger. More sediment are brought from areas under the ice out to the coastlines where water slow down and the sediment fall out to form sand deltas.
Sand is a scarce resource. The ever-growing demand for sand has led to sand becoming a conflict-ridden international commodity. People fight and even kill for sand.
Mining and exporting sand from the deltas could be a way for Greenland to boost its economy a team of Danish and American scientists suggests. On Twitter, one of the scientists Mette Bendixen at University of Colorado Boulder, tweets: ”The idea is actually pretty similar yes; Greenland has a surplus of material (mud+sand) and other places could use these resources. In both cases, it could help the Greenlandic economy!”
The team adds that sand needs to be mined with methods kind to the local environment.
The more I read about both the challenges and the initiatives connected to sand the more complicated it seems. Undivided positive is that more and more amazing people, teams and groups engage in finding sustainable solutions to how we can live well and in harmony with the environment. The worlds almost insatiable thirst for sand is unquestionable. How to best deal with this is still to be figured out. Keep up the good work!
