Southeast Asia is the world’s bilge dumping hotspot—what can be done to stop ships discharging waste oil?

eco-business.com

Satellite images have revealed the illegal discharge of waste oil and sludge from ships to be a daily occurrence in Indonesia, while Southeast Asia’s biodiverse waters suffer more from the problem than anywhere. What can be done to stop the destructive practice of bilge dumping?

Piracy. Illegal fishing. Slavery. The issues facing the shipping trade are increasingly well known and a highly traditional industry has at last started to confront them. But one important issue, which is as old as the trade itself, has been largely overlooked: bilge dumping.
Tiếp tục đọc “Southeast Asia is the world’s bilge dumping hotspot—what can be done to stop ships discharging waste oil?”

Mine declines: Good news for sustainability in Vietnam

Statistics from the General Statistics Office of Việt Nam (GSO) showed that the mining industry has posted a record slump since 2011, with the growth rate dropping by 7.1 per cent in 2017 and 4 per cent in 2016. — VNA/VNS Photo

Viet Nam Newsby Võ Trí Thành*

Statistics from the General Statistics Office of Việt Nam (GSO) showed that the mining industry has posted a record slump since 2011, with the growth rate dropping by 7.1 per cent in 2017 and 4 per cent in 2016.

This could be a small disappointment amid lots of bright spots in the country’s wider socio-economic picture last year. But this could also lead to an alarming conclusion – the mining industry will be unable to return to growth, and so the growth pattern must be transformed.

The GSO attributed the slump to the plummet in crude oil and coal exploitation. This consequence is directly related to Việt Nam’s past development strategy, when the mining industry still occupied an important position. Tiếp tục đọc “Mine declines: Good news for sustainability in Vietnam”

Substitute for natural river sand needed

vietnamnews

Update: May, 20/2017 – 10:02

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Việt Nam’s total sand resources are an estimated 2.3 billion cubic metres. With the current pace of construction, experts warn that the sand supply will likely be exhausted in less than 15 years. Dr Lê Ái Thụ, chairman of Việt Nam Asociation of Economic Geology, and Dr Thái Duy Sâm, vice chairman of Việt Nam Building Material Association, spoke to the Vietnam News Agency about the necessity of finding alternative materials to replace natural sand. Tiếp tục đọc “Substitute for natural river sand needed”