Balisage

Warned by Robin des Bois as early as May 17th 2011 of the Probo Koala’s imminent arrival to be beached for demolition (1), Bangladesh authorities, through its Ministry of Environment & Forest have just closed access to the demolition shipyard to this ship whose last known name was Gulf Jash, IMO number 8309816. This is the first time a ship destined to demolition is turned away from Bangladesh waters. The decision is justified by the history of this tanker and the particularly toxic residue still possibly on board. The list of these substances and a draft of the ship can be found here.

The number 23 of « Ship-breaking.com », information and analysis bulletin on the demolition of ships is available.

56 pages of informations, destinations, stories and histories, pictures, on the demolition of ships around the world from January 1^st to May 6^th.

Of 362 ships sent to demolition during the first 4 months of the year, 332 were sent to Asia; 123 belonging to European ship owners and 134 were built in Europe.

Despite the poor working conditions, the devastated environment, and many hazardous wastes, the shipping world continued as usual to leave their discarded hulls on the Asian beaches.

The Probo Koala vessel which spread death and panic in Abidjan during the summer of 2006 has just been sold by her last owner to a demolisher in Bangladesh for $ 7.7 million. Currently off the coast of China, she should be beached in Chittagong under the name of Gulf Jash within the next few days. The Greek owner had in fact sold the Probo Koala to Gulf Navigation based in Dubai.

Built in 1989, at Korean Shipbuilding & Engineering shipyards, the Probo Koala was used by the multinational company Trafigura to produce low-grade gasoline from highly sulphurised oil off the coast of Gibraltar and Malta. The toxic residue produced by these onboard refinery operations was unloaded in August 2006 at the Abidjan port. Scattered around the Ivory Coast economic capital, the residue containing hydrogen sulphide and mercaptans caused the death of 17 people and intoxicated over one hundred thousand others, according to the official figures.

The Probo Koala vessel which spread death and panic in Abidjan during the summer of 2006 has just been sold by her last owner to a demolisher in Bangladesh for $ 7.7 million. Currently off the coast of China, she should be beached in Chittagong under the name of Gulf Jash within the next few days. The Greek owner had in fact sold the Probo Koala to Gulf Navigation based in Dubai.

Built in 1989, at Korean Shipbuilding & Engineering shipyards, the Probo Koala was used by the multinational company Trafigura to produce low-grade gasoline from highly sulphurised oil off the coast of Gibraltar and Malta. The toxic residue produced by these onboard refinery operations was unloaded in August 2006 at the Abidjan port. Scattered around the Ivory Coast economic capital, the residue containing hydrogen sulphide and mercaptans caused the death of 17 people and intoxicated over one hundred thousand others, according to the official figures.

Only in French.

Only in French.

Only in French.

Only in French.

Chainsaws are impatient and are cutting down without letting up. They are pairing up with wood shredders that reduce fallen trees into fuel. Nothing comes through alive; hundred year old, notable, or isolated trees, tree-lined avenues, and forests. Any excuse will do; they block the sun, they obstruct the view, they are sick, they interfere with the train, they accumulate starlings, are dangerous for road safety, and even hedges are not safe. France is burning since the government, ADEME (Environmental Agency and Energy Control) and environmentalists have promoted forests to the level of renewable energy and the collective and individual heating using wood is spreading like an epidemic. Right-minded people and smooth talkers are busy forming their energy packages, offering it to voters while looking elsewhere; Amazon, Indonesia, and the island of Borneo with insincere crocodile tears.

Climatic, geological, or anthropogenic natural disasters produce in a couple of seconds, hours or days, enormous amounts of waste, so much so that authorities are unable to handle the quantity with ordinary means. The rupture of “lifelines”, namely water, electricity, transportation routes and communication lines, send survivors into a deep confusion. The accumulation of rubble and waste increases the shock of the populations and postpones the first steps towards the return to normalcy.

The 3 million tonnes of rubble generated by the earthquake in Los Angeles in January 1994 led the city to reinforce and multiply its recycling capacities. Provisional transit and elimination sites for future earthquakes were pre-selected.