Hybrid cars have been touted as the savior of the environment and wind farms will stop the belching power plants from destroying our planet. Apart from the usual environmental rhetoric I ran across a rather startling article that claims that the 16 dirtiest cargo ships emit more sulfur per year than all of the cars on the planet. To be exact, the largest ships emit 5,000 tons of sulfur a year or the same as 50 million cars. The sulfur and smoke emissions have been linked to respiratory problems, heart disease, and cancer. James Corbett, from the University of Delaware, estimates that these emissions kill 64,000 people per year. In addition, cargo ships emit as much carbon dioxide as the entire fleet of aircraft. I am not protesting the cargo ships of the world, but I find it interesting that environmentalists have placed so much emphasis on automobiles and aircraft, but this is the first time I have seen anything about cargo ships. Many things in the world get undue focus or no focus at all. I just wonder how much lobbying money the major shipping players are siphoning towards global governments.
Beware of living on the coast
Doesn’t that mean that we should do something about the cargo ships pollution? I dont think that should mean that we shouldn’t continue to do our part with the vehicle pollution. Look at L.A., you cant tell me that all the smog in that city is coming from cargo ships in the Port of Long Beach?
I am definitely not making a judgment call about which is worse or what actions should be taken, only bringing up a fact that seems to be missing from environmental awareness. I think it has to do with out of sight, out of mind. Cargo ships are once removed from our lives. We all consume goods that are cheaper because ships use cheap and filthy fuel. The linkage between the two is missing, but people can easily see that driving an SUV is more polluting that driving a civic.