Bangkok Donates Retired Garbage Trucks As Artificial Reefs

[george]

Bangkok donates retired garbage trucks as artificial reefs

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is moving ahead with a project using decommissioned city garbage trucks as artificial reefs which will become new coral habitats to revive the ecological system along the seashores of the southern provinces of Pattani and Narathiwat.

In 2006, the Bangkok's city hall government gave 189 garage trucks to the project to make a network of artificial coral-friendly bases under the royal initiative of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin said Monday.

While the project is successful, additional garbage trucks are needed as future habitats of aquatic animals, he said.

In the second phase of the project, the BMA will give 200 retired garbage trucks as artificial coral reefs and habitats of marine animals in order to reconstruct natural marine resources and the ecological system along the shorelines.

Parts of the trucks which can damage the marine environment will be removed before they are deposited in the seabed later this week.

--TNA 2007-07-10

[Carmine6]

Not quite as picturesque as a shipwreck, but nice idea.

Edit, now that I think about it, a string of these would be a unique sight.

Edited July 9, 2007 by Carmine6

[aaaaaa]

yeah - I can imagine, it would look quite surrealistic: garbage trucks covered in corals!

[basjke]

Yet another way to get rid of your garbage.Donate it as a coral reef.

[lazeeboy]

Yet another way to get rid of your garbage.Donate it as a coral reef.

next we will have hondadream reefs, come on get real

[belidofan]

as iff the rest of the country could have no use for these 2nd hand trucks; drive around by car.bus or train and you'll notice that the country has become an open garbage dump; indeed very clever of apirak...but this dumb idea sells better in the media of course

[raybkk]

Now its just waiting for the scrap metal collectors to finish their diving lessons

[Scott]

But did they take the tons of plastic bags out of the trucks first?!

[skysurfn3d]

But did they take the tons of plastic bags out of the trucks first?!

This idea of doing something is only going to backfire in a few years and actually cause more damage than good.

For example for many years around Fort Lauderdale Florida they bundled old tires together with steel bands and nylon straps. Well over time the bands and straps broke. Then when the hurricanes and storms came through, the loose tires went everywhere and caused major damage to the living reefs. It has gotton to the point that the military and local government there are now recovering the tires used to make the artifical reefs.

I can't see the Thai government diving down in 10 years to recover the falling off pieces of the garbage trucks that are killing the still alive coral... Sad.

[Gumballl]

But did they take the tons of plastic bags out of the trucks first?!

This idea of doing something is only going to backfire in a few years and actually cause more damage than good.

For example for many years around Fort Lauderdale Florida they bundled old tires together with steel bands and nylon straps. Well over time the bands and straps broke. Then when the hurricanes and storms came through, the loose tires went everywhere and caused major damage to the living reefs. It has gotton to the point that the military and local government there are now recovering the tires used to make the artifical reefs.

I can't see the Thai government diving down in 10 years to recover the falling off pieces of the garbage trucks that are killing the still alive coral... Sad.

In your example above, your should have noted that you lifted the information from a Reuters news article. You make it seem like you have witnessed the event(s). But hey, what do I know... maybe you have, or maybe you work as a reporter for Reuters.

[mrtoad]

But did they take the tons of plastic bags out of the trucks first?!

This idea of doing something is only going to backfire in a few years and actually cause more damage than good.

For example for many years around Fort Lauderdale Florida they bundled old tires together with steel bands and nylon straps. Well over time the bands and straps broke. Then when the hurricanes and storms came through, the loose tires went everywhere and caused major damage to the living reefs. It has gotton to the point that the military and local government there are now recovering the tires used to make the artifical reefs.

I can't see the Thai government diving down in 10 years to recover the falling off pieces of the garbage trucks that are killing the still alive coral... Sad.

In your example above, your should have noted that you lifted the information from a Reuters news article. You make it seem like you have witnessed the event(s). But hey, what do I know... maybe you have, or maybe you work as a reporter for Reuters.

Sorry Gumball, but I don't see that your statement has much relevance. Are you now suggesting that people cannot give an opinon on this board unless they have witnessed it?

Or are you suggesting that we follow Western University guidelines on quotations and sources? This is only meant to be a relaxed forum for sharing information., not a submission of a research based thesis.

I find your comment pretty incredilous ,in that most people base their own opinons on things that they have either read or wittnessed. Okay, lets now not bother making any posts, in fear that we may be plagerising.

[Carmine6]

But did they take the tons of plastic bags out of the trucks first?!

This idea of doing something is only going to backfire in a few years and actually cause more damage than good.

For example for many years around Fort Lauderdale Florida they bundled old tires together with steel bands and nylon straps. Well over time the bands and straps broke. Then when the hurricanes and storms came through, the loose tires went everywhere and caused major damage to the living reefs. It has gotton to the point that the military and local government there are now recovering the tires used to make the artifical reefs.

I can't see the Thai government diving down in 10 years to recover the falling off pieces of the garbage trucks that are killing the still alive coral... Sad.

I don't think that situation applies to large metal objects. The biggest problem with tires is that just about nothing grows on them and they're small. I've never heard of problems with things like ships or planes. The Philippines is littered with WWII shipwrecks that don't seem to be causing problems. Railroad boxcars have been dropped in the US.

[khall64au]

With all due respect to the idea, is it really PC to be dropping garbage trucks into the ocean in hope of creating new marine habitats? There must be more eco-friendly solutions out there for recreating man-made coral reefs!

[Carmine6]

With all due respect to the idea, is it really PC to be dropping garbage trucks into the ocean in hope of creating new marine habitats? There must be more eco-friendly solutions out there for recreating man-made coral reefs!

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I don't think steel is an ecological problem in the ocean. Iron is already a common naturally occurring element and steel seems to rust really slowly underwater.

It is being done under an initiative of the Queen so my guess is they will follow through on "Parts of the trucks which can damage the marine environment will be removed before they are deposited in the seabed..."

[mrtoad]

I think this is becoming pretty common in various countries.

About three years ago, in my local area back in Cornwall they scuttled an ex Navy Frigate HMS Scyla in Whitsand Bay to create an artifical diving reef. From my understanding this has been a pretty succesful operation, which has increased marine life in the area and has also created an interesting diving reef.