U.S. Hopes Chinese Island-Building Will Spur Asian Response
Washington hopes Southeast Asian nations to take a more united stance against China’s rapid acceleration this year of construction on disputed reefs.
Lough Neagh Unauthorized Sand-Dredging, Ireland
The Department of the Environment will confirm how it intends to deal with the controversial issue of sand dredging in Lough Neagh in the next few days. Sand has been removed from the lough since the 1930s, and is used to supply the construction industry.
Showing no Signs of Giving Ground, China and US Remain at Odds over South China Sea Projects
The U.S. and most members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations want a halt to the projects, which they suspect are aimed at building islands and other land features over which China can claim sovereignty. U.S. officials say China has reclaimed about 2,000 acres of dry land since 2014.
Government, Hotels Pressure Local Officials Over Sand Mining
The government, hoteliers and civil society are stepping up the pressure on Thandwe authorities to curb rampant sand mining at Myanmar’s premier beach destination, Ngapali.
BCDC Approves Sand Mining Permit in San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) unanimously approved a 10-year mining permit for sand removal from San Francisco Bay, and from two other areas near Suisun. The amount of sand the permit requests is 15 times greater than the annual amount of sand that comes into the bay from the delta.
Central Govt Halts Jakarta’s $40 Billion Reclamation Project
Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta– home to 10 million people – is sinking into the sea at between 2.9 and 6.7 inches per year. To save the megacity from drowning: a $40 billion land reclamation and sea wall project estimated to take 30 years to complete. However, today, the central government has decided to suspend its implementation as the viability of the project is now questioned.
Great Wall Of Sand: Chinese Mischief at Mischief Reef
In recent years, China has laid claim to the South China Sea with increasing fierceness, challenging the counterclaims of neighboring states and confronting their fishing boats on the open water. But new satellite photos have provided the most dramatic evidence yet of just how aggressively China is acting to establish a sphere of influence in the South China Sea
Over 240 mining and energy projects waiting for investors in Cuba
Industrial minerals and manufactured industrial mineral products produced in Cuba include ammonia and ammonia by-products, bentonite, cement, feldspar, high-purity zeolite minerals, gypsum, kaolin (a type of clay), lime, high-grade limestone, marble and sand…
The Deadly Global War for Sand
Apart from water and air, humble sand is the natural resource most consumed by human beings. People use more than 40 billion tons of sand and gravel every year. There’s so much demand that riverbeds and beaches around the world are being stripped bare.