Why Brazil Sank Its Own Aircraft Carrier At Sea #shorts

Brazil’s Navy sunk its aircraft carrier São Paulo in the Atlantic ocean this month, ending a saga over what to do with the decommissioned ship. The vessel is full of toxic and dangerous material, including tons of asbestos, used in the ship's paneling, and no country - including Brazil – would let it dock in their ports. Environmentalists are outraged, some calling it state-sponsored environmental crime.

#brazil #saopaulo #ship #ocean #environment #pollution #asbestos

[RCsev]

Asbestos doesn't react with water. On the contrary, when handeling asbestos the best way to limit harm is...making it wet. Education is a beautiful thing.

[bigbullfrog]

The sinking footage was not of the Sao Palo, it was of the USS Oriskany - the carrier that the US properly decontaminated and sank to provide an artificial reef and a recreational diving spot.

[alissonmauro]

Sea animals: "Oh, a new apartment"

[outandaboutintheworl]

As long as you aren't breathing in the asbestos it isn't a threat. And if you're 350km off the cost of Brazil and 5km under the ocean and trying to breathe, then you have bigger problems than asbestos.

[fischerautoprops]

I'm surprised that Brazil didn't try to sell it to China.

[rogeriopenna]

Some info, because this is not so simple.

This old ship was sold to a company that took it to Turkey. Turkey forbid is entrance. Brazil also forbid its return.

The company that was responsible threatened to abandon the ship in the middle of the ocean.

The Brazilian navy decided to assume reasonably over it again. But it identified three huge holes caused by oxidation at the hull.

3000 cubic meters of water had ALREADY entered the ship. The report said the ship would sink naturally before the end of February.

The asbestos is impossible to remove. It's an integral part of the ship.


The Brazilian navy decided to sink it because it would sink anyway. And if it sink uncontrolled, it might threaten the crew of the tugboat.

Furthermore, it might sink near the port, creating a logistical nightmare.

Or in an environmental protected area.

There wasn't much that could be done except this.



BTW, notice that asbestos was used extensively in ships at WW2 time. As so many ships were sunk at the time, the asbestos in this aircraft carrier is a drop in the ocean, in comparison

[VandalAudi]

Reading further context and facts, the decision to scuttle it in a safe manner rather than becoming a navigational hazard is a good call from the Brazillian Navy.

[davidchase]

I think no matter what you do someone will always hate you.

[stevewall]

Having served on a US helicopter carrier, built in mid '45, loaded with asbestos, our ship did well for decades. Asbestos was never a problem unless disturbed. After severely damaged in a gale off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in the winter of 1967, the Navy sent us to repairs and refit at the yards in Boston. Took lots of work and time. Instead of moving its crew off ship, we became exposed to many types airborne hazards like asbestos during the work. I now have asbestosis...

[LITTLE]

Crazy to see something so large go down

[nickonline]

man the titanic was a environmental crime and the captain, the people on board, and the iceberg should pay dearly
-environmentalist

[MOTO]

The absolute best way to mitigate the danger of asbestos is to get it wet. Problem solved, I'd say.

[nosloppyplease]

Sunken ships make it really easy to get a Coral reef going

[ernestestrada]

Asbestos that's wet is not hazardous cuz it's not loose. Coral will grow, overgrow it encapsulating it.

[philthycat]

They could have just declared war on some other country and let it be sunk in their waters and then say, “ we surrender “.

[AnakinButDumb]

fun fact: before sinking it, Brazil actually sold the carrier as scrap for a Turkish company, but they didn't let it in because of the asbestos and stuff, so they sunk it

[inurokuwarz]

Once I was playing HOI4 as Brazil and I experienced a bug where my entire navy was sunk, save for one battleship that I couldn't control in the Caribiean. This Ghost Ship just sailed around engaging American ships and Aircraft and winning against entire fleets because it couldn't die.

[Mtlmshr]

I’m not an environmentalist but that was not right! Any country that takes on the major responsibility of owning a ship of war should also take on the responsibility of the peace and everything that goes with it including the environment!!! Shame on you Brazil!

[MikeRivNY]

I'm not an environmentalist per se, but that was a terrible idea. They were too cheap to dispose of it correctly but paid an astronomical sum to host the Olympics.
Great job.

[PlaySwag]

Environmental crime? That's just an artificial coral reef.