The hidden environmental toll of mining the World’s sand
Sand mining is the world’s largest mining endeavor, responsible for 85 percent of all mineral extraction. It is also the least regulated, and quite possibly the most corrupt and environmentally destructive.
Bulgarians decry ‘eco vandalism’ on coast
After pictures emerged on social media earlier this month of a giant sand dune being bulldozed, there’s been an angry reaction among eco activists and the general public.
5 billion Dubai megaresort rises from The World
Four kilometers off the Dubai coastline lies Europe. Or a version of it, at least. Comprising six man-made islands styled after a mix of European countries and cities, when completed this $5 billion megaproject will be able to accommodate 16,000 tourists in the height of travel luxury.
Argentina: The Atlantic Coast loses two meters of beach per year
It happens in the main beaches of Buenos Aires, due to the erosion, generated by the loss of dunes, urban intervention, with walls of cement, coastal roads, the afforestation of the dunes and the theft of sand for constructions.
The Cement Industry, One of the World’s Largest CO2 Emitters, Pledges to Cut Greenhouse Gases
Cement is the second most-consumed resource in the world, with more than 4 billion tons of the material produced globally every year. As a result, the industry generates approximately 8 percent of global CO2 emissions.
Gambian environmental activists take swift Action against Chinese plant polluting their ocean water
After activists said a Chinese-run fish processing plant – that arrived in 2014 – had failed to remove a pipe accused of spewing toxic waste into the sea, local youth issued an ultimatum: Dig the pipe up, or we will. They did, storming the beach.
French journalists labelled spies over Indian mining investigation
Two French journalists have been labelled spies and are the subject of a criminal investigation after they tried to report on sand mining in south India – an assignment they took up because Indian journalists had been threatened for reporting on the issue.
Beach sand mining in Grenada triggers loss of trees and beach erosion
To the great frustration of some residents, illegal sand mining operations have been ongoing on Grenada’s beaches. Trucks have been seen daily, driving away loaded with bags of beach sand.
Corporate Sand Mining In SF Bay Sparks ‘Sand Wars’
Six years ago, nonprofit environmental advocacy organization San Francisco Baykeeper sued sand-mining firm Hanson Marine Operations and the State Lands Commission to stop sand mining in the Bay. However, in November, an appeals court judge sided with the State Lands Commission and the sand mining company.