Overview: Is sand an infinite resource? Can the existing supply satisfy a gigantic demand fueled by construction booms? What are the consequences of intensive beach sand mining for the environment and the neighboring populations?

DVD Verdict: Directed, in some fine style, it has to be said, by Denis Delestrac, 'Sand Wars' is a highly fascinating, engrossing PBS documentary that we should all watch and pay attention to.

After fresh water, sand is the most consumed natural resource on the planet. As a logical consequence of this exploitation, sand's limited reserves are threatened today. 'Sand Wars,' triggered by building booms, are raging everywhere in the world and 3/4 of the planet's beaches are in decline and bound to disappear, victims of erosion and - as hard it might be to comprehend - smuggling.

Most of us see sand as a free material, a staple of holidays spent on the shore, in unlimited supply. Sand is everywhere around us, be it beach, desert or town. Every house, every skyscraper with a dazzling glass front, all our bridges, airports and sidewalks - are basically made of sand. We use it as well to make fiber optic cable, mobile phone components and computer chips.

Amazingly to know, we even slip some into our toothpaste, our powered food, our glass of wine! But is this omnipresent material inexhaustible? Can the available quantity match an ever-increasing demand that is constantly fed by the need for human consumption? That's what this empowering documentary strives to find out, but informing us from the ground up. Please, this subject matter deserves all the attention you can give it. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.