Alang Shipbreaking Yard: The Dangerous Place Where Old Ships Go to Die

[@megaprojects9649]

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[@Kangamoos]

The music at the end was so dramatically loud! Love the content as always, just have to remember to take off my headphones

[@ambert.3792]

this whole vid felt fast and weird.

[@jamessmith4229]

Yess, startling loud.

[@leonmeyer4914]

Great topic, honestly even if quite a few people are criticizing the video (which I completely agree with for the most part), the topic very much interests me and you guys gave us a very good insight of all the different aspects when it comes to what happens with ships when they get "scraped"

[@JoshuaHedrick666]

@leonmeyer4814 i hate to be that guy but you left out a p in scrap-ped 😅

[@Slab_city_ghost_702]

Great subject. Can't hear Simon over the music.

[@knottytoob]

Squarespace AI is still learning apparently. [edit] Or has been sent here to d...ie. ;)

[@CaptainK007]

Bin the music!

[@diversitygenerator4613]

8:56 "The process will also allow sea water to seep into the hull and flush out the fuel tanks." ie. Dumping any remaining diesel fuel and built up sludge from years of operation directly into the coastal ocean completely unfiltered.

[@balinthehater8205]

yeah, I also heard that and was like"...wait a minute!"

[@charlesbryson7443]

The music makes me feel like I’m “on hold”

[@Jameson1776]

Yeah there is no need for music.

[@1Electricman]

This is another one of the reasons switching to BEVs is a great idea. Those concerned for the poor kids in the cobalt fields won't say a thing about this. The ships transporting oil have an end of life plan! It would be the oil tankers that do most of the environmental damage.

[@markhodge7]

I've semi-followed this subject for years. Thanks again Simon for bringing me up to date on another somewhat obscure/hidden subject. Cheers!

[@gingernutpreacher]

What would it take to bring it back to uk/Scotland?

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

The concrete flooring idea while commendable will only help if the waste is actually collected and treated properly

[@mattholden5]

A+ work, Simon. I'd like to see more gritty news-type videos.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:15 - Chapter 1 - Stripping ships 1:55 - Mid roll ads 3:20 - Back to the video 5:15 - Chapter 2 - 8524 ships & counting 7:55 - Chapter 3 - How ships die 9:55 - Chapter 4 - How ship breakers die 15:30 - Chapter 5 - Healing a toxic reputation 19:35 - Chapter 6 - Alang's future

[@EAWanderer]

RIP Knock Knevis 😔 The largest ship 🚢 EVER BUILT. It met its true death in 1 of these ship graveyards on the coast of India 🇮🇳

[@Khanjikai]

Mark Knopfler wrote a fantastic song called "So Far From the Clyde" about these places. Give it a listen if you want to cry as hard for an inanimate object as you did for the Brave Little Toaster.

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

I think an NPR podcast host visited these breaking yards and did a good story about the workers. He visited where they worked and did a good job bringing the human element into view. As dangerous as the job is and as low the pay looks to us a whole community strives to be in the business and work their way up the workman's ladder

[@sweetpeaz61]

whoever does the audio editing for this channel is psychotic, the background 'music' is a scattergun of styles, so loud it all but drowns out the narration and pretty much ruins an otherwise brilliant and informative video...this isnt the first time either..c'mon Simon get this sorted out ¬_¬

[@Ashley-wi4ng]

As a half deaf person who has issues generally with loud background music and had no issues, i gotta tell ya get your ears checked.

[@Bob_Smith19]

@@Ashley-wi4ngyou’re half deaf so you obviously can’t hear it. The background music is way too loud and annoying.

[@Ashley-wi4ng]

@Bob_Smith19 that's what someone who is completely ignorant of how hearing loss works would say.

[@Ashley-wi4ng]

@Bob_Smith19 As I said, it's usually an issue for me, and it's not with this video. which says something about the frequency range it is in, which may indicate a loss of certain frequency on your part. Hearing loss isn't like plugging your ears it's losing frequencies, usually highs.

[@conorf8091]

Im sorry but you over reacting massively…turn down the volume bro. Stop listening to stuff at 125% volume

[@mattywanders]

I like puppies and Megaprojects.

[@SRW_]

Have you heard about Simon's dog genocide?

[@trayolphia5756]

A man of simple yet good tastes 😊

[@joseph-mariopelerin7028]

he does look a bit like a terrier...

[@Iris_and_or_George]

I love projects and megapuppies

[@JTSanford]

More of a kittens and Casual Criminalist guy myself.

[@firstmkb]

I’ve even read a book on the ship-breaking industry and was amazed towards the end of the video when Simon talked about all of the environmental improvements made at Malian. I was ready to comment “No, you can’t end a story like this on a high note!”, when Simon shows the actual state. He almost got me!

[@magnetospin]

Wow, that quote from Lawrence Summers really shows how evil he is.

[@firstmkb]

It’s easy to say that and it certain sounded heartless, but can you fight economics? How would you force companies to pay western dismantling wages out of pocket versus selling the ships to low wage countries for scrap? I’m glad at least some conditions have improved for the workers, but these awful jobs are better than their alternatives-or they wouldn’t take them. Child labor in the early 20th century was awful and abusive, but demonstrably better than farm labor or hunger. I don’t like the situation morally, but it seems to be improving a little. If India threw out the ship breakers, I’m sure China or North Korea would pick up the slack with forced labor.

[@BlackNovember_94]

I went on this cruise ship called the Pacific Pearl in 2011 went from Sydney to ports of New Zealand & back. During the pandemic I found out it was sold for scrap & saw photos of it being dismantled in Alang.

[@nicktheanalyzer]

Yes just let the sea wash out the fuel!! 😂

[@PilotReidB]

You should do one on the conditions in and around lithium mines as well as the environmental impact of them. I think it would be good for some people to know

[@Slab_city_ghost_702]

To much music in background. It's supposed to be background music not drowning out Simon's voice.

[@GrandadTinkerer]

Music and un-necessary sound effects ruin the video!

[@the.amazing.spatterman]

This would seems more appropriate as an Into the Shadows video.

[@moshonn9318]

Maybe they put it here for scale, or because the overall situation seems to be improving.

[@shawnalexandernoticemesenpai]

I can't put a word to the feeling of seeing these hulking, indomitable vessels being reduced to scraps

[@christiancarson7566]

Give a listen to Mark Knopfler's "So Far From the Clyde", It's a beautiful song but depressing.

[@311Bob]

ants dismantling a large beetle?

[@franciskolarik6802]

Ships are actually quite domitable. They get domited all the time.

[@Kaltagstar96]

I couldn't imagine doing a job as dangerous as working in Alang for as meagre of a salary as they got, I'm glad that things seem to be improving as there's almost no possible way that it could get worse.

[@leonmeyer4914]

12:40 that kind of makes me feel uncomfortable of how much I smoke 😅

[@adenkyramud5005]

Same 😅 although i already made some progress in smoking less I'm still around 16 a day when I'm stressed.

[@EmilyJelassi]

Depressing that health and safety continue to be an issue that has to be enforced strictly. I remember seeing a doc about this years ago... incredibly dangerous!! Very interesting video, but the background music is a bit loud.

[@DZI10]

I remember seeing an al Jazeera documentary on this place back in 2013. Insanely dangerous.

[@highbrass7563]

Cheers from Hamilton Ontario Canada. What are we at year four, possibly going on year five for megaprojects?

[@radugrigoras]

Not sure what part of Hamilton is worthy of a Megaproject video. Maybe the water treatment facility? But even that pales in comparison to something like Manhattan. The now mostly demolished Stelco mills? That pale in comparison to the mills in Pennsylvania? I love this city, but there is nothing Mega here other than the homeless population and the rate at which manufacturing is dying. We are a small fry in a small pond. We could have become a Mecca of manufacturing, about 3 Stelco bankruptcies ago. The government and the companies that bought Stelco just needed a vision. My vision for it was to keep the coke ovens, blast furnaces, and plate mills open, get rid of all the sheet related and rod crap, build a dry dock and turn it into a ship building yard that makes its own plate steel. But no, everyone was insane, keep producing the same crap steel with the same crap equipment with an aging over paid unionized workforce. Cleveland Cliffs will file for BK in a couple years too, and then perhaps this time it will finally rest in peace.

[@teo2157]

Will be 5 years next marxh

[@nebula1863]

It’s quite sad that basic safety and environmental protections have to be enforced or highlighted/criticized for decades before being taken up. The voluntary building of dry docks and providing basic safety equipment means they could’ve always done this, but chose not to until they got severe flak.

[@seagypsybnb]

In the comments in under hour?! Let's go! Haha but for real another awesome video man!

[@jay14110]

God bless those workers ❤

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

In the 1980s, Gadani (Pakistan) was the largest ship breaking yard; however, competition from newly established yards such as Alang resulted in a significant reduction in output, with Gadani today producing less than one-fifth of the scrap it produced in the 1980s.

[@justdeaf-ry6bn]

I'd have to say that the worker's are very brave to work in that environment and very little pay. I was flabbergasted that they work in sandals and no helmet. Im just glad that they're making improvements for the safety of worker's and environment. But still more work needs to be done and just like everything else it cost money to make improvements.

[@jcmount1305]

Listen to Mark Knopfler's So Far From the Clyde.Wonderful song about this.

[@selectorspinnaz6254]

Audio Editor do your thing, you can't please everyone.

[@gopherchucksgamingnstuff2263]

Sometimes you do things that make me pay attention. This is important for the world to know.

[@stancil83]

12:58 Oh my god, Simon, have mercy. Not Megaprojects. I go to Warfronts if I want to be sad. =(

[@adenkyramud5005]

And into the shadows.

[@russianterror5686]

I can't even watch it because of the music

[@jaydice1]

Lawrence Summers sounds like a villain in any movie

[@RyanzPVTS]

Could your editor s do away with those fast scene transitions that are both visually violent and very loud in my headphones.

[@innocentpasserby9632]

4:38 The West: some of you may die, but that is a sacrifice I'm willing to make

[@mikeeB-m5h]

The background music is quite loud and even overlapped Simon's narrations, especially when headphones are on. When used without headset though is bearable.

[@jenniferlindsey2015]

A re-release of this without music or with music at 1/2 current volume would be nice. Simon always speaks quickly. He’s not rushing, he’s recording about 5 videos a day.

[@MrJohnS.]

They live in a country where the government restrictions have made this the best job that all those men can get. That guy lived in extreme poverty, and had more than 6 children…

[@stancil83]

12:05 anybody get Soul Asylum vibes?

[@ShaddeyNNM]

Great video, sad topic, the contamination but most importantly the poor treatment of these workers. Also….What is everyone on about not being able to hear Simon? I thought my hearing was bad. Yes the music is a bit loud at times, but I can hear him fine 😅

[@sofakingcrazy1]

this video was easy to watch, because the sound was good; your voice was great for many parts, the sound effects were great and the necessary background music made it even more easy. I am not a native english speaker, and you are speaking very well, so this video was easy to understand

[@mrgotan]

Why background music is necessary to listen to a person describing a situation? It is not! You might like it, but is it not necessary.

[@knottytoob]

Foreground sound is sent to be taken apart here.

[@toospooky051]

We got to do better on the music editor

[@simplegunsmith]

What an ending... "Alang is dead, thank you for watching."

[@LTDunltd]

Ship breaking yards at Aszod? 😁😁

[@bizwiz21]

Lawrence summers is quite the charmer

[@paulclark147]

The Shipbrokers deal directly with the Ship owner. The Shipbroker deals with the cash buyers who buy the ship and sell it to the breaker in Alang.. The Ship owners / brokers do not deal with the breaking yard directly !

[@1776Meow]

Next up, if you haven't seen it, look up the mining process for rare earth metals.

[@Norbrookc]

There are still a few shipbreaking facilities in the US, mostly specializing in military ships. If anyone wonders why the US government would sell a multi-billion dollar aircraft carrier for a penny when it's being scrapped, it's because it must be done in the US, and the cost of breaking it up safely is so expensive that the only way a yard can make a profit is at that cost. No, I'm not suggesting that we start reducing protections.

[@michael195b]

Just taken a look on google maps and don't see a whole pile of dry docks! Plus the vast majority of ships are oil tankers of some description, which says a lot of the oil industry - maximise profits. Either the images were taken a long time ago or not much has changed in reality

[@Bob_Smith19]

Wages are low for a western worker but are they low for the area? It’s all relative. There’s also a break even point. No clue what the profit margins are but if labor costs are too high they will simply cease operation. This already happened in Spain, Taiwan and the UK.

[@StephenJohnson-jb7xe]

I looked on a satellite view of Alang, there were no dry docks. There are what appears to be concrete pads but the ships are not on them.

[@fatladonbike]

I don't talk about terrible death tolls often (well Simon does) but when I do i like to play cheery rights free musak obnoxiously loudly over the narrator.

[@bobmurphy9270]

Why so much music? I find it hard to pay attention to the subject even though I can still understand all the words.

[@Isurusish]

I wish i could turn Simon into 75% Simon

[@WoodStoveEnthusiast]

I wish for a 1:32 scale pocket Simon.

[@grantwoods5782]

Yh background music to loud and strange on this one

[@DannyTheGFP]

I cant tell where his new "christmas top" ends and where his "british weather" arms start

[@adenkyramud5005]

😂😂😂

[@hexesandthorns]

Is anyone else watching this while playing Ship Graveyard Simulator 2?

[@Nergal8621]

Hardspace: Shipbreaker, the devs were literally inspired by Alang.

[@lucadardi9331]

Simon, what are these soundtracks?

[@PokettoMusic]

where did you buy your shirt?

[@Ryan-lz8zm]

Does that blouse have buttons down the back?

[@reggiep75]

Music needs to be no more than 5-10% of the volume.

[@joshelliott-batt1267]

Was interested.......couldent stand the music!!

[@EZ-df1cm]

Intern got the editing seat on this one. Normal editor; get well soon.

[@bholdr----0]

In the intro there us a bit of a red flag, about how Alang has been able to 'overturn the REPUTATION' of its deadly toxic murderous crippling disease-ridden child-slave-labor ship breaking industry... Is it inly the reputation that has changed? I wonder. (I'll be fair and give the vid a shot. I posted this at 1:17 on my first watch through of this vid...)

[@Danny_j_m_90]

Added to 'Watch Later'.

[@Case2126]

High Fashion Simon

[@normwetherbee3403]

I couldn't make to the end to see who edited this one but the sounds were atrocious. The "whoosh" effects between the shot transitions were so distracting and loud that I missed a lot of what Simon was saying. Do better.

[@PossumMedic]

"With a large lifespan in mind, 25-30 years" 😐 My family has had cars longer than that 😂 8:56 - "The process will also allow sea water to wash out the fuel tanks" Ummmmm.... 🤨🤨🤨

[@芦白龙]

70 Billion Rupees, you would need something bitter than a Giant Goron Wallet to store all of those, especially if it was just the Green Rupees

[@thewoomelanghotel8756]

Ahh, Simon is again demonstrating his PRODIGIOUS SPEED SPEAKING/READING Talents to the detriment of audience comprehension. Well done Son. 69k views in 13 hrs for a video done in 22 minutes - Impressive and no doubt good for your coffers.

[@DonOmarRamiro]

13:29... How many of their children??? They dont need toilets and OSHA, they need EDUCATION.

[@ThePowerofDatasets]

How about Chittagong in Bangladesh?

[@andymouse]

" I lost six of my children " how many ya got ffs.

[@CoffeeCrowgasm]

Hey I recognize this place from world war z the book!

[@watcherofwatchers]

I am not justifying anything here - just pointing out a fact - paying those 100000+ workers a substantially larger wage would render this industry financially unviable and would leave all these ships as a massive waste problem. It's primed for automation and large scale processing.

[@andymouse]

Yep, robots running around striping them down in days.

[@dmartin4414]

Yes - "Strip and Sink", with no regard for environmental impact.

[@GoodSpeed150]

Great video but stop the sound effects.....

[@EhEhEhEINSTEIN]

Not enough of them go there to die apparently..

[@Sir_Bradock]

ok I admit I`m only half way into the video ... 10 mins in to be exact ... how much would such a large cargo ship at the end of its theoretical life cost ? I bet if you took care of its hull it would float another 30 years at least.... asking from a prepper view ... I could fit a large garden on top of it and aquaponics downstairs ... could even raise chickens along some few cows and pigs ... plus there is the possibility of fishing and a desalination unit to get fresh water from sea water ... so yeah how much do these scrappers pay per ship ?

[@danielread8549]

They get stress fractures over time. Ships don't last forever.

[@neilhallett9892]

Interesting & worrying subject. but I found sound effects distracting.

[@macmcelveen1241]

Wasnt this yard in world war z..

[@94Gidge]

Every one is saying how loud the music is and i didnt even relaise there was music until half way through the video, i guess that is a side effect of working in loud enviroments and industrial deafness, i do agree that the transitions are excessively loud and jarriing.

[@johndoe-so2ef]

Here's the problem. Make rules where these places could operate in France, and it will be SO expensive that you end up with old ships being dumped around the world in desterted coastal areas.

[@dmartin4414]

"Strip and Sink"

[@lilj3070]

Oh hey this is a BF2042 map 🫠

[@MikeBaxterABC]

I would be interested in what happens to things like the Life Boats?? .. These have decent engines with very little hours on them, and are made to stringent standards! .. I'm thinking they make a good fishing boat?? Or a passenger boat for hire? Does anyone have experience seeing them in re-use??

[@bmw328igearhead]

They are typically sold before the large vessel is brought to the breaker. It's kinda like... you make sure you take everything that is yours out of a car, before you call to have a scrapper come take it away and crush/destroy it.

[@RyanzPVTS]

Politicians in America are pushing to roll back environmental and worker protections, prioritizing corporate profits over the well-being of people and the planet. By weakening these safeguards, they enable companies to cut costs, increase profits, and operate with fewer restrictions-essentially exploiting workers and the environment much like poorer nations are. While other countries are advancing with stronger regulations to protect their citizens and natural resources, America is regressing, favoring short-term economic gain over long-term progress and sustainability. This backward approach undermines global efforts to create safer, fairer, and more environmentally responsible systems.

[@Scout-Fanfiction]

It's almost as if India is 20 years behind in implementing safety measures (no disrespect ro the workers). companies will almost always gravitate to the cheapest means to their goals (regardless of ethics or morals).

[@charlespeak7217]

I can't do this background music. It's why I quit wat hing Simon's YTs awhile ago.

[@danielagoston1766]

"6 of my children died" And again, the poorest of the poor has 7 or more children while they can't even feed themselfs properly.

[@Hucklechuck45]

Music too loud? Maybe, but the incessant loud "whooshing" noise used to punctuate each transition to a new image or clip was very tiresome. Scrap it (no pun intended).

[@adamlee3772]

Poor sound quality on this video and your talking seems to be getting quicker which, with the music and sound effects, made it almost unintelligible.