Cruise Ship Environmental Impact

Friends of the Earths Cruise Ship Report Card compares the environmental footprint of 18 major cruise lines and 202 cruise ships.

Cruise ship environmental impact. Even while at dock cruise ships often run dirty diesel engines to provide electrical power to passengers and crew. Existing environmental management options are described. However cruise ships have long been associated with a bleak environmental impact due to waste generation and carbon emissions.

Meanwhile in the United Kingdom local environmental groups have demonstrated that a single cruise ship can emit as much pollution as 700 trucks and as much particulate matter as a million cars. An Environmental Impact Matrix is presented for future assesments of the industry. Ballast water gray water black water chemical pollution solid waste and oil are some of the pollutants spewed out by cruise ships.

In addition cruise lines have also started to build ships powered by liquefied natural gas LNG a clean source of fuel. Foe isnt alone in criticizing the environmental impact of cruise ships. And cruise lines are partnering with environmental groups to share data and organise sustainable shore excursions.

The growing cruising tourism sector has hidden environmental costs. Each passenger mile on a Carnival Corp. Increased garbage and sewage leads to a significant environmental burden in that area.

Technology is helping lower the environmental impact of cruises with new developments like scrubbers to reduce exhaust pollution more efficient hull and propeller design improved water filtration and a switch from diesel to liquid natural gas. Worldwide the cruise industry has invested more than 22 billion in ships with new technologies and cleaner fuels to reduce air emissions and achieve greater efficiency. An earlier version of this piece suggested that cruise ships release untreated sewage at sea.

To comply with IMO rules cruise lines are making big improvements to emissions by retro-fitting exhaust gas cleaning systems also known as scrubbers which remove up to 98 of the sulfur oxide emissions from a ships exhaust. Cruise ship emissions and practices are reviewed to define environmental impacts. Ship emits 117 pounds of CO2 according to Carnival Corps latest environmental report.