Film: "Sand Wars"

Thunder Bay Environmental Film Network presents "Sand Wars," Wednesday, May 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated and the post-film discussion will be lively. Most of us think of it as a complimentary ingredient of any beach vacation. Yet those seemingly insignificant grains of silica surround our daily lives. Every house, skyscraper and glass building, every bridge, airport and sidewalk in our modern society depends on sand. We use it to manufacture optical fiber, cellphone components and computer chips. We find it in our toothpaste, powdered foods and even in wine. 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? 807-475-3631. efilmnetwork.wordpress.com.