15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

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  • StevenBauer
    LPBC member
    • Jan 2000
    • 23277

    15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

    Check out this TED talk:

    Inside the secret shipping industry
    Almost everything we own and use, at some point, travels to us by container ship, through a vast network of ocean routes and ports that most of us know almost nothing about. Journalist Rose George tours us through the world of shipping, the underpinning of consumer civilization.




    Steven
  • ron ll
    Seattle WA USA (Ballard)
    • Oct 2005
    • 24289

    #2
    Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

    I can't watch the TED talk right now. But is your headline really true? Any qualifiers on that?

    Comment

    • oznabrag
      Historical Illiterate
      • Nov 2008
      • 40798

      #3
      Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

      I can not wait to have Mr. Craig-Bennett weigh in on this!

      Fingers drummong on table...
      Rattling the teacups.

      Comment

      • Full Tilt
        Banned
        • Dec 2011
        • 4493

        #4
        Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

        I wonder what other combustible waste gets incinerated with bunker fuel?

        Comment

        • Captain Intrepid
          Senior Member
          • Oct 2008
          • 6798

          #5
          Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

          Yes its probably true, but yes there are qualifiers, while I don't have time to watch the video right now they're probably talking about sulphur emissions, not overall pollution, and certainly not pollution per ton/mile.

          There was a recent thread in Misc that was along a similar tack.

          I'll just take my chances with those salt water joys.

          AR

          Comment

          • ron ll
            Seattle WA USA (Ballard)
            • Oct 2005
            • 24289

            #6
            Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

            And at least 15 of them pass in front of my house every day, including the Maersk ships. Right now I'm looking at the MOL Motivator, 991' doing 18 knots.

            and now here comes the Courageous Ace, 650' at 17 knots, looks like maybe a car transport.

            and now the YM Hamburg out of Singapore. 850', 20 knots. This all within 15 minutes.
            Last edited by ron ll; 03-11-2014, 09:53 PM.

            Comment

            • Captain Intrepid
              Senior Member
              • Oct 2008
              • 6798

              #7
              Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

              Originally posted by Full Tilt
              I wonder what other combustible waste gets incinerated with bunker fuel?
              It's easier to list what's prohibited from incineration.

              I'll just take my chances with those salt water joys.

              AR

              Comment

              • hokiefan
                Senior Member
                • Feb 2002
                • 9221

                #8
                Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

                If you just look at SO2 and particulate emissions it may well be true. No. 6 fuel oil has about 2% sulfur content. This is 20,000 ppm compared to a maximum sulfur content in US gasoline of 300 ppm. Having spent a lot of effort improving the sulfur removal in a turpentine distillation unit, 20,000 ppm is a $h!t-load of sulfur. Particulate generation is measure by the ash content, the inorganic stuff left when you burn the material. No. 6 fuel oil will be about 0.5% ash, or 5,000 ppm, compared to essentially zero for gasoline.

                The utility companies deal with this with caustic scrubbers for the SO2 and/or electrostatic precipitators for the particulate. These are expensive to operate and a real PITA on dry land. The large scale of the utility boilers makes the expense more reasonable.

                I have read that some areas require the ships to switch to cleaner fuels in port, basically diesel if I read it right.

                Cheers,

                Bobby

                Comment

                • Full Tilt
                  Banned
                  • Dec 2011
                  • 4493

                  #9
                  Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

                  Originally posted by Captain Intrepid
                  It's easier to list what's prohibited from incineration.

                  http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/r...e-40.html#h-55

                  That would only apply within Canadian territorial waters.

                  Comment

                  • Breakaway
                    Senior Member
                    • Mar 2007
                    • 28419

                    #10
                    Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

                    Well, THE way to look at this, IMHO, might be with a question: How much pollution will be created by mothballing these ships and transporting the commodities and goods by other methods?
                    I respectfully submit the term, "transport efficiency" for your Googling and Wiki-ing pleasure.

                    Kevin
                    There are two kinds of boaters: those who have run aground, and those who lie about it.

                    Comment

                    • hokiefan
                      Senior Member
                      • Feb 2002
                      • 9221

                      #11
                      Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

                      Originally posted by Breakaway
                      Well, THE way to look at this, IMHO, might be with a question: How much pollution will be created by mothballing these ships and transporting the commodities and goods by other methods?
                      I respectfully submit the term, "transport efficiency" for your Googling and Wiki-ing pleasure.

                      Kevin
                      No doubt it is the best option going. But there is also no doubt that it can be improved upon. The technology exists, but it would only matter if you could get everyone to do it. Ships would just get flagged where the regulations are lax unless it was universal, adding the emissions controls would definitely make a difference cost-wise.

                      Cheers,

                      Bobby

                      Comment

                      • Captain Intrepid
                        Senior Member
                        • Oct 2008
                        • 6798

                        #12
                        Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

                        Originally posted by Full Tilt
                        That would only apply within Canadian territorial waters.
                        And on Canadian ships. If you'd like to look up the regs for every other flag state, be my guest, I'd love to hear your results. (Not being sarcastic, I actually would be interested, I just don't have the time to do it myself.)
                        I'll just take my chances with those salt water joys.

                        AR

                        Comment

                        • Sky Blue
                          Banned
                          • Feb 2014
                          • 15090

                          #13
                          Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

                          Originally posted by Breakaway
                          Well, THE way to look at this, IMHO, might be with a question: How much pollution will be created by mothballing these ships and transporting the commodities and goods by other methods?
                          I respectfully submit the term, "transport efficiency" for your Googling and Wiki-ing pleasure.

                          There is also the pollution and climate change impact of the creation of the ships in the first instance; those externalities have already been input into the climate system, with additional impacts associated with the creation of the new transport platforms to be input as well.

                          Is it a net win for the climate to trade the 1978 pickup for that new Prius when you only drive 25 miles per week or so?

                          Comment

                          • Gerarddm
                            #RESIST
                            • Feb 2010
                            • 32468

                            #14
                            Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

                            Is it a net win for the climate to trade the 1978 pickup for that new Prius when you only drive 25 miles per week or so?
                            My response would be no, climatically. Economically there are more jobs associated with the Prius.
                            Gerard>
                            Albuquerque, NM

                            Next election, vote against EVERY Republican, for EVERY office, at EVERY level. Be patriotic, save the country.

                            Comment

                            • paulf
                              Senior Member
                              • Jan 2012
                              • 6933

                              #15
                              Re: 15 largest ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world

                              Eventually we will overrun ourselves, all 9 billion of us.

                              I have been on research vessels from all around the world. One vessel from Japan would every night,dump all garbage, in plastic bags, 10 or so, overboard.


                              We were a Seismic vessel, so no problem. To make issue of it would be "impolite".
                              PaulF

                              Comment

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