Cost of our Expanding Coastline that Never Cross Our Minds

[Heartlander]

The video below sadden me more than a bit:

 

 

It just does not feel right about what we have been doing. But what to do? We need all the resources to build our infrastructures and buildings. But lets be mindful of the costs to other countries, whether we pay them fairly or not is another matter altogether. Our action is causing other people hardship, and that just feel terrible.

 

[Ash2017]

when your aim us,to expand to 10plus million people......

[Heartlander]

I think we better be mindful of this issue when we visit our neibouring countries. Understand that there is this frustration with us. Do not go holiday there thinking we would be welcome with open arms.

[t0y0ta]

The video below sadden me more than a bit:

 

 

It just does not feel right about what we have been doing. But what to do? We need all the resources to build our infrastructures and buildings. But lets be mindful of the costs to other countries, whether we pay them fairly or not is another matter altogether. Our action is causing other people hardship, and that just feel terrible.

 

If you read the comments section, there are 2 perspectives:

 

1) SG is bad to take natural resources from other places (even if paid for) and the analogy is like drug-addicts create the market for drug trafficking.

 

2) SG is a tiny user of sand compared to middle east or other parts of the world that are building entire island clusters from reclamation. Even Malaysia also reclaiming a bunch of islands for Forest City. And these are western sponsors "activists" looking for "villains" to target. Even taking shots of MBS, GBTB is purposefully misleading as they were reclaimed with Malaysian or Indo sand, nothing to do with Cambodia.

 

I tend to agree with (2).

 

Life is like that, you have to be strong to have "rights". if SG was a poor village trying to sell its granite, do you think the neighbours will be kind and gracious to this little poor thing?

[Watwheels]

Sure or not? The sand bought from Cambodia goes into building the Marina area?

 

Sand is just sand. Can go to the point of ruining the life of many villagers? Whoa...whoever is selling this BS sure has some kinda agenda. Isn't Sgp once a fishing village too? So ask yourself where has the villagers gone?

 

As the nation such as Cambodia develops all these villages will one by one disappear. It has nothing to do with us. It's the work of some organisation who is up to no good. Trying what they can to sabotage us. Don't be so gullible.

 

You are educated while the village girl isn't. Who's fault is it then? Ppl want to bluff a village girl who has no access to Google they can surely tell her anything.

Singapore as we know only has its people as its only resources, whatever we do not have we buy. Even for food like chicken meat we also import from many countries. Are these countries people dying of starvation? Simply because we buy a lot of food from them? We buy water too. From people who cant even clean their own water for consumption and have to depend on us to clean it for them. Are we evil just becos we are like everyone else who require land, food and clean water to survive?

 

Stop supporting this BS story you are looking at.

Edited March 17, 2019 by Watwheels

[Thaiyotakamli]

Thats why in tuas area some land reclamation using residual of burnt waste

[Heartlander]

I do not think this story is fake. Singapore is definitely buying lots of sand from neighbouring countries, just that the sand from cambodia might not be used in the projects mentioned. That was done to sensationalise the story.

 

But there is definitely impact on environment especially when sand is dredged from seabed as in this case. The sendiments stirred up will impact the marine life and in worse cases caused reduced harvesting. Nobody write anything does not mean is not happening.

 

And we might be getting the sand legally, but it does not mean the blood is not in our hands. Just coincidently I have been teaching my kids that doing things legally does not mean morally or ethically correct, we should always strive to do the later to be good citizens.

Thats why in tuas area some land reclamation using residual of burnt waste

I joined the tour to Semakau Island awhile back and really learned alot about the process to deal with the waste we produce daily. Many do not know that there is a deadline to current capacity, and there is no working solution at the moment from the presentation by the staff there. I forgot the timeline but it is definitely in next few decades.

[Ender]

I feel the seller holds the final decision whether the sand get exported, and those lobbyist should go disturb the seller.  

If daddy sold the last bag of rice to a rich man, the hungry children should hold who accountable? Their daddy of course, as he holds the final decision whether the children will go hungry or not.

[Xers007]

I do not think this story is fake. Singapore is definitely buying lots of sand from neighbouring countries, just that the sand from cambodia might not be used in the projects mentioned. That was done to sensationalise the story.

 

But there is definitely impact on environment especially when sand is dredged from seabed as in this case. The sendiments stirred up will impact the marine life and in worse cases caused reduced harvesting. Nobody write anything does not mean is not happening.

 

And we might be getting the sand legally, but it does not mean the blood is not in our hands. Just coincidently I have been teaching my kids that doing things legally does not mean morally or ethically correct, we should always strive to do the later to be good citizens.

 

I joined the tour to Semakau Island awhile back and really learned alot about the process to deal with the waste we produce daily. Many do not know that there is a deadline to current capacity, and there is no working solution at the moment from the presentation by the staff there. I forgot the timeline but it is definitely in next few decades.

These ppl are more likely to be pawned by their govt or own ppl. Buyer request to buy sand their ppl should have research and analysis into whether its ok to sell, they can always reject the deal. If they are given a share of the money, they might not have even appeared in the video.

[BanCoe]

Willing buyer = Willing seller ........ same goes even for sharks fin and whale meat and other exotic stuff , if the buying stops the selling stops .... same for puppy mills too and drugs too , yes we cut off all our rolling hills in the 60’s for East Coast land reclamation and Bedok/ Changi became flat lands

 

Indonesia did seize some of the sand barges in around 2008 ..... lots of alibaba thingy going on like Permit given for 1 barge load but take out 10 bargeloads instead , of course our govt act blur

Edited March 17, 2019 by BanCoe

[Victor68]

I do not think this story is fake. Singapore is definitely buying lots of sand from neighbouring countries, just that the sand from cambodia might not be used in the projects mentioned. That was done to sensationalise the story.

 

But there is definitely impact on environment especially when sand is dredged from seabed as in this case. The sendiments stirred up will impact the marine life and in worse cases caused reduced harvesting. Nobody write anything does not mean is not happening.

 

And we might be getting the sand legally, but it does not mean the blood is not in our hands. Just coincidently I have been teaching my kids that doing things legally does not mean morally or ethically correct, we should always strive to do the later to be good citizens.

 

I joined the tour to Semakau Island awhile back and really learned alot about the process to deal with the waste we produce daily. Many do not know that there is a deadline to current capacity, and there is no working solution at the moment from the presentation by the staff there. I forgot the timeline but it is definitely in next few decades.

So what is our solution? Reduce population back to 2 million? This tiny dot has no where to go except sea. Use what to fill the sea? Next of course is floating islands but it will also have environmental impact too. 

[BanCoe]

Bring back the good old fashioned Kelongs with a modern twist

Edited March 18, 2019 by BanCoe

[Heartlander]

Willing buyer = Willing seller ........ same goes even for sharks fin and whale meat and other exotic stuff , if the buying stops the selling stops .... same for puppy mills too and drugs too , yes we cut off all our rolling hills in the 60’s for East Coast land reclamation and Bedok/ Changi became flat lands

 

Indonesia did seize some of the sand barges in around 2008 ..... lots of alibaba thingy going on like Permit given for 1 barge load but take out 10 bargeloads instead , of course our govt act blur

I would like to point out again that legally right does not equate to morally right or ethically right.

[Heartlander]

So what is our solution? Reduce population back to 2 million? This tiny dot has no where to go except sea. Use what to fill the sea? Next of course is floating islands but it will also have environmental impact too. 

Actually my intention is only to create awareness. I not paid millions to solve this kind of problem. But at least I think our government should check where it gets its sand from, and verify that it caused minimal impact to the environment or livelihood of people there. But there will always be people who touts willing seller willing buyer so to each his own lah. 

 

So if you ever go Cambodia and take a fancy to visit those seaside villages for cheap seafood or sightseeing or whatever, be careful not to tell them you are from Singapore. Do not assume that they will be grateful to you just because you are spending money there.

[Beregond]

its true us buying sand is causing problem for them.

 

but if u look at the whole picture, we dun buy, they also sell to others.

they need that money .

 

rather then blaming us for causing the problem, 

the roots cause is their government after getting the money  didnt spend to improve the living of the ppl there.

 

my 2 cents....

[Kusje]

I have doubts that the sand we buy is all procured legally.

 

But of course SG is always very clean. The ones at fault are the middle man. As long as we keep our eyes closed, we remain clean.

[mersaylee]

In a dog eat dog world...survival is key. Noble or not is the (not so important) level after primary

 

What’s important is are the people have enough to eat or feel safe...???

 

Many would love to have a chance to ccb pappy if given the opportunity...

 

Only if everyone is well informed or can think intellectually.,,there’d be world peace...

 

Even here...Accountability is the buzz word...ccb p...

 

Yes. Heard that someone wanted a cut out of our reclaimation project...our garment sent a strong signal out that we’d rather pay more to get from elsewhere than to pay any ransom....liked what our founding pioneers did to water in the very early hours...

[Sosaria]

its true us buying sand is causing problem for them.

 

but if u look at the whole picture, we dun buy, they also sell to others.

they need that money .

 

rather then blaming us for causing the problem, 

the roots cause is their government after getting the money  didnt spend to improve the living of the ppl there.

 

my 2 cents....

 

Spot on. Our "friendly" neighbour countries like Malaysia and Indonesia stopped selling sand because of concern over environmental damage to their coastlines and also as some kind of leverage, depends how you see it. So it's really up to the individual governments whether they are concerned over their citizens' welfare.