Photo: Edward Burtynsky
There is a particular industrial activity that is quite unique to the small town of Alang in Gujarat Province, India. It's not manufacturing - actually, it's the exact opposite: in Alang, container and cruise ships are taken apart piece by piece ... by hand!
When large container ships can contain or ship no more, they're sent halfway round the world to so-called "breaking yards," where they're dismantled (basically by hand), their metal is salvaged, and their intact structures, down to the doors and toilet seats, are put back onto the global marketplace.
Today, these yards tend to be in Bangladesh or India – but location is just a question of cheap labor and (nonexistent) environmental regulations.
It's toxic work.
BLDBLOG has more: Link | More photos of shipbreaking by Edward Burtynsky
If you want to know more about how shipbreaking is done in India and in Bangladesh, and how international treaties are not respected by Western countries (the export of hazardous wastes to developing countries is illegal) you can go to:
www.shipbreakingplatform.org
bye!
That was my first thought too.
World War Z.
great book.
apart from the british bit..which was a horrible cliche.
And the Australian calling Brits Limeys.... that was pretty lousy too.