Cruise Ships--The H2 of the Sea

Michael Myers

Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 580

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There's a close relationship between boats and the environment. Marketing materials--particularly for cruise ships--show vessels in pristine blue waters with fish whales and dolphins in close proximity.

The New York Times ran an article this weekend regarding the damage cruise ships do to our oceans and coasts.

Cruise ships emit nearly twice as much carbon dioxide as airplanes. They pollute far more--per passenger, per mile--than airplanes.

According to environmentalists, carbon dioxide emissions are just a drop in the ocean when it comes to eco problems on luxury liners. Most ships run on so-called bunker fuel, the cheapest and dirtiest fuel oil, which not only powers the vessel, but also all the amenities on board: restaurants, swimming pools and nightclubs among them.

The Article indicates one-week voyage on a large ship is estimated to produce 210,000 gallons of sewage, a million gallons of gray water (runoff from sinks, baths, showers, laundry and galleys), 25,000 gallons of oily bilge water, 11,550 gallons of sewage sludge and more than 130 gallons of hazardous wastes.

I saw a bumper sticker the other day. It read: Your Hummer Looks Stupid. The cruise lines need to clean up their acts. If they don't I hope the weight of social pressure makes cruising as unacceptable as rolling in a big black H2 through the middle of Fremont.

On a one to one basis, cruise ships are going to pollute more than jet skis or Zodiacs. But the same concerns apply. We should make sure that we're smart about fuel consumption and waste when we're on the water. Boating safety means more than preventing personal injury or drowning. It also means not injuring the environment.