Image by Wall Boat licensed under Public Domain
Although it seems to be everywhere, sand is actually running out. This might not seem like a problem, but you probably don’t realize how important sand really is. We use it to make concrete, silicone, and even artificial islands. Unfortunately, environmental factors are making it harder and harder to get, like many other natural resources today. Listen to learn the untold story of sand.
Story Length: 7:52
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June 11, 2016
4:59
Beginning 200 years ago, many of Vermont’s rivers were straightened for agriculture, logging and to power turbines. Today one of three river miles in Vermont has been straightened, causing the waters to run deeper and faster – and erode away people’s property and roads. Vermont has experienced three 100-year floods in the past 30 years. Traditionally, the state and property owners have built expensive barriers to keep the rivers in line. Now the state is thinking about taking a new approach to floods: creating zones along the riverbanks where no new construction is allowed to let the rivers flow where they naturally want. Listen to this VPR News story and then use the questions below to discuss the issues it raises.
Read MoreAugust 2, 2014
7:11
Competitions come in all shapes and sizes. From the boxing ring to the beach, people love to use competition to inspire their best work. Sports have a long tradition of competition but we don’t often see or watch artists be competitive. Every summer just north of Boston, Massachusetts, beach goers to do just this at the Revere Beach National Sand Sculpting Festival. Listen to learn more about sand sculpting and how competition and art drive its creators.
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