landmines are a BIG problem in some countries

[basschick]

i just found this site
http://www.landmines.org/
and read a lot of stuff i hadn't really thought about, but that sadly makes a lot of sense.

"There are between 45 and 50 million landmines in the ground in one-third of the world's nations. Landmines are indiscriminate weapons that maim or kill 15,000 to 20,000 civilians every year. They cost as little as $3 to produce, but as much as $1000 to remove."

"Adopt-A-Minefield® is a campaign of the United Nations Association of the USA, which engages individuals, community groups, and businesses in the United Nations effort to resolve the global landmine crisis. The Campaign helps save lives by raising funds for mine clearance and survivor assistance and by raising awareness about the landmine problem.

The idea behind Adopt-A-Minefield® is both powerful and simple. Designed to move beyond the political and policy debates typically associated with banning the use of landmines, the Campaign provides a practical solution to the tens of millions of mines that contaminate the world and to the countless survivors of landmine accidents."

[robin]

Yep they're damn nasty and nervewracking to remove.

[joneze]

I saw a show the other day that was addressing the ways to remove land mines.

I guess there is a machine that has a bunch of chains on the front of it.
I spins the chains beating the ground and has enough armor on the front of it to protect the driver.

Even with something like this it will take a long, long time to remove them all.

[Lee]

Joneze,

What they actually do to clear the landmines in many parts of the world is to fire a rocket type object from a canon with several lengths of wire attached to it, they then drag the wire back in a straight line detonating any mines along the way.

The military uses something similar to this machine in wartimes to clear active minefields for their troops also.

Then there is the old fashioned way, slowly and very carefully by hand.

Regards,

Lee