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https://theconversation.com/cruise-ships-are-coming-back-to-nz-waters-should-we-really-be-welcoming-them-188974>
"The return this month of the first cruise liner to Auckland’s Waitematā
Harbour was accompanied by the sort of fanfare normally reserved for visiting
foreign dignitaries: a tug boat decked out in bunting, a circling helicopter,
even the mayor on hand to welcome the ship.
Coming after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic and border closures, it was
undoubtedly a momentous occasion. But it’s also an opportunity to examine the
environmental and economic impacts of these massive ships, and to ask how
welcome they really are.
Criticism of the cruise industry is not new, and there have been calls for
global monitoring and effective legislation because of its impact on
environmental and human health. Climate change has only amplified this.
Individual cruise liners emit more CO2 than any other kind of ship. Per
passenger mile, they produce at least twice the CO2 emissions of a long-haul
flight.
A single ship can use up to 150 tonnes of low-grade heavy fuel oil (HFO) every
day of its voyage. Combusted in a ship’s huge engines, this produces
particulate matter (PM) – microscopic particles that can be inhaled and lodge
in lung tissue or be carried in a bloodstream.
PM is linked to various environmental harms and health problems, including
reduced lung function and worsening asthma and heart disease. A single cruise
ship can produce the same daily PM emissions as a million cars, with the global
cruise fleet producing the emission equivalent of 323 million cars (but with
passenger capacity of only about 581,200 single-occupancy cars)."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
