搜索
Weallknowhowshipsareborn,howmajesticvesselsarenudgedintotheoceanwithabottleofchampagne.Butfewofusknowhowtheydie.Andhundredsofshipsmeettheirdeatheveryyear.Fromfive-staroceanliners,togrubbyfreighters,literallydumpedwithalltheirsteel,theirasbestos,theirtoxinsonthebeachesofsomethepoorestcountriesintheworld,countrieslikeBangladesh.Youcan'treallybelievehowbaditishere,untilyouseeit.Itcouldbeascloseasyou'llgettohellonearth,withthesmoke,thefumes,andtheheat.Themenwholaborherearethewretchedoftheearth,doingdirty,dangerouswork,forlittlemorethan$1aday.It'snotmuchofafinalrestingplace,thisdesolatebeachnearthecityofChittagongontheBayofBengal.Shipsarelineduphereasatanyport,butthey'llneverleave.Instead,theywillbedissected,boltbybolt,rivetbyrivet,everypieceofmetaldestinedforthefurnacestobemelteddownandfashionedintosteelrods.Theshipsdon'tdieeasily-theyarebuilttofloat,nottoberippedapart,spillingtoxins,oilandsludgeintothesurroundingseas.Themenwhoworkherearedwarfedbytheshipstheyaredestroying.Andtheydissecttheshipsbyhand.Themostsophisticatedtechnologyonthebeachisablowtorch.Themencarrymetalplates,eachweighingmorethanatonfromtheshorelinetowaitingtrucks,walkinginsteplikepallbearers,orlikemembersofachaingang.Theypaintimagesofwheretheywouldliketobeonthetrucks-picturesofparadisefarfromthiswasteland.Andwhennightfalls,theworkcontinuesandthebeachbecomesaninfernoofsmokeandflamesandfilth.Thisindustry,whichemploysthousandsandsuppliesBangladeshwithalmostallitssteel,beganwithanaccident-acyclonetobeprecise.In1965,aviolentstormleftagiantcargoshipbeachedonwhatwasthenapristinecoastline.Itdidn'ttakelongbeforepeoplebeganrippingtheshipapart.Theytookeverythingandbusinessmentooknote-perhapstheydidn'tneedastormtobringshipsontothisbeachhere.MohammedMohsin'sfamilyhasbecomeextremelywealthybringingshipsontothesebeaches.Hepaysmillionsofdollarsforeachshipandmakeshisprofitfromthesteelhesells.ThenameofhiscompanyisPHP,whichstandsforPeace,HappinessandProsperity.Hislatestacquisitionisashipweighinginat4,000tonsbutMohsintellsSimonthat'ssmallbycomparisontoothervesselsthathavebeenguttedonthebeaches.Theyhavehandledshipsaslargeas68,000tons.ThisthefirsttimeMohsinhasseenthe4,000tonshipcloseup.Infactbuyingashipisnotatalllikebuyingacar.Hedidn'tevenneedtoseeapicturebeforeheboughtitfor$14million.Allheneededtoknowwasitsweightandhowmuchtheownerswerechargingforeachtonofsteel.Oneofthesinglemostvaluablepartsoftheshipisthepropeller.Thesmallshipspropelleriswortharound$35,000alone,Mohsinestimates.ItmaybeasmallshiptoMohsin,butgettingontoitfromthebeachisstillabitdelicate.Mohsin'sshipsdon'thaveseafaringcaptainsanymore-heisthecaptainnowofdyingshipsandthecaptainofoneofthelargestof30shipyardsonthis10-milestretchofbeach.Some100shipsarerippedapartonthebeacheachyear,mostofthemfromthewest.Itisthewest'sgarbagedump,saysRolandBuerk,wholivesinBangladesh.Hespentayearintheseyards,writingabookabouttheindustry.60MinuteshiredhimtoguideSimonthroughthetangledworldofshipbreaking.TodothesameworkinAmericaorEnglandwouldbeveryexpensive.ItwouldbebecauseinEuropeandAmericawhentheydothis,theydoitindrydocks,Buerkexplains.Soinactualfact,theownersoftheseshipsaresellingthemtotheyardownersheretobreakup.IftheyhadtodoitinAmerica,they'dhavetopayforthatprocesstobecarriedout.Soyouseeitmakesrealeconomicsensetodoithere.Soold,out-datedshipsthatwerepreviouslyaliability,arenowanasset,Simonremarks.Exactly,Buerkagrees.Andthat'swhytheyendupontheseshores.Theyaretheshoresofthemostdenselypopulatednationandoneofthepoorestnationsintheworld.Bangladeshdesperatelyneedssteelforconstructionbuthasnoironoremines.Theshipbreakingyardsareitsmines,providing80percentofthenation'ssteel.Butsteelisonlypartofthedeal;therearesomanythingsonashipwhicharesoldoff.Itisinfactagiganticrecyclingoperation.Youcanfindeverything,includingkitchensinks,atasprawlingroadsidemarketwhichgoesonformiles.Whenyou'redrivingdownthisroad,it'snotaproblemifyouneedatoiletoralifeboatoralightbulb.Itisestimatedthat97percentoftheship'scontentsarerecycled.Theotherthreepercent,thestuffnobodywouldbuy,includingthehazardouswaste,asbestos,arsenicandmercury,areleftbehindtofoulthebeaches.Andwhatwe'relookingat,whichisarecyclingoperation,isalsoanenvironmentaldisaster,Simonsays.That'strue.AndIthinkthisisreallycapitalismasredintoothandclawasitgets.Atthemomentthisiswhatmakesfinancialsenseforeverybody.Andthisis,despitethefactthatwemightnotlikeit,anditdoesn'tlookpretty,thisishowit'sdone,Buerksays.Theworkerstoilintoughconditions.Theyhavenounions,nosafetyequipment,andnotraining.About50aresaidtodieinaccidentseachyear;ofteninexplosionssetoffbyblowtorchesdeepinsidethefume-filledholds.Youseecasualtiesintheyards,menwhowereinjuredherebuthavenomoneytogoanywhereelse.Theworkersarehousedinbarrackswithnobeds,juststeelplatesscavengedfromtheshipstheybreak.Manyoftheworkersarenotoldenoughtogrowabeard.Someare,quitesimply,children.60Minutesspoketoseveralwhosaidtheywere14andhadbeenworkingherefortwoyears.SowhatdoesthemanfromPeaceHappinessandProsperitysayaboutthat?Askedifthereareanychildrenworkinginhisyard,Mohsinsays,Notm