Big Ships Make Big Emissions

Some new data out that suggests the ecological toll of international shipping is much greater than previously thought.

Confidential data from maritime industry insiders based on engine size and the quality of fuel typically used by ships and cars shows that just 15 of the world's biggest ships may now emit as much pollution as all the world's 760m cars. Low-grade ship bunker fuel (or fuel oil) has up to 2,000 times the sulphur content of diesel fuel used in US and European automobiles.

Pressure is mounting on the UN's International Maritime Organisation and the EU to tighten laws governing ship emissions following the decision by the US government last week to impose a strict 230-mile buffer zone along the entire US coast, a move that is expected to be followed by Canada.

The setting up of a low emission shipping zone follows US academic research which showed that pollution from the world's 90,000 cargo ships leads to 60,000 deaths a year in the US alone and costs up to $330bn per year in health costs from lung and heart diseases. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates the buffer zone, which could be in place by next year, will save more than 8,000 lives a year with new air quality standards cutting sulphur in fuel by 98%, particulate matter by 85% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 80%.

Keeping the ships away from the coast for purposes of improving human health is all fine and good, but as an approach it seems to be focused more on addressing the result as opposed to the cause. All that pollution will still be going somewhere, even if it isn't the densely populated US coast.

Some people are speculating that there could be much more eco-friendly ways to ship large amounts of goods. Between the possibility of giant sail ships and all the recent talk of pirates, I have to say that 2010 is starting to look a great deal like the 16th century.