On 12/21/23 11:58, Tim Bray via Silklist wrote:
I don’t want to hurt any feelings, but I feel compelled to point out
that if you are worried about the onrushing climate crisis, cruise
ships… aren’t good: https://theicct.org/marine-cruising-flying-may22/
<https://theicct.org/marine-cruising-flying-may22/>
Point granted (and no offense taken).
However, given that the option for intercontinental travel is air, and
that the cruise ship visits a different location more than ever other
day, and the fuel consumption of air travel is likely much greater.
I also note that few ships in cruise service still use bunker oil (which
generates a lot of carbon particles). Most now use low-sulfur #2 fuel
oil (at least when 3nm of land), and the newest ships are being built
with LNG. Still fossil fuels, but one gets the sense that the cruise
lines are trying (at least, to lower their direct costs). I've also
heard of some hybrid ships being built that use solar panels to
supplement their primary fuel.
The industry isn't perfect, it's still a long way from even being
adequate. But this is one of the challenges created by waiting so long
to address global warming -- equipment with 50-year lifespans are hard
to replace early, absent government subsidies.
I dispute the article's claim for a 2:1 ratio of emissions as they
project a single flight to replace a cruise ship. On the 5-night cruise
they postulate, a cruise ship is likely to visit 3 or 4 ports, so we're
talking 4 or 5 flights, assuming direct connections are available, which
isn't common today, requiring additional flights and distance. This will
raise the emissions of the flight option; I haven't access to their data
to do the math.
Finally, let me present my personal situation. My wife and I have
medical conditions that preclude flying or taking trains or busses. If
we are to travel, this limits us to driving or cruising. Perhaps someone
has the data on the emissions of a 2000km trip by car for two, adding in
the additional hotel nights needed for the trip. It may be that cruising
is the optimal ecological alternative for us.
Thanks for the link, and for the challenge.
Cheers,
/ Bruce /
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