No More Free Ride: Global Warming Pollution from Ships Must be Regulated

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Despite their impact on the global climate, greenhouse gases and other global warming pollution from ships remain unregulated by the U.S. Government. These emissions also have not been limited by the Kyoto Protocol or any other international treaty. However, ships are a major source of global warming pollutants, including carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and black carbon. Consider the following facts:

  • Only five countries in the world release more carbon dioxide than the global fleet of marine vessels.
  • This fleet releases 1.12 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide each year, an amount equivalent to emissions from over 205 million cars, or more cars than were registered in the U.S. in 2006 (135 million).
  • A single container ship emits more global warming pollution than 2,000 diesel trucks.
  • By 2020, these emissions could double 2002 levels, and they could be triple those levels by 2030.
  • Ships are also major emitters of nitrogen oxides – contributing nearly 30% of the world’s releases. This amount too is expected to triple by 2030.
  • Another pollutant released by ships, black carbon, or soot, can warm the air as well as cause snow and ice to melt. Black carbon may be responsible for as much as 25% of observed global warming.


Global warming pollution from ships is unregulated, but based on its magnitude and climate change impact, action is desperately needed. There should be no more free ride. Ship pollution can be reduced considerably by controlling the operation of marine vessels (including fuel type and vessel speed among other solutions). These actions will help achieve the emissions reductions so desperately needed to avert the climate crisis and protect the oceans and marine ecosystems.

To find out more about the impact of shipping on climate change read Oceana's report Shipping Impacts on Climate: A source with solutions


Working with Earthjustice, Friends of the Earth and the Center for Biological Diversity, Oceana petitioned EPA to regulate these emissions. Unfortunately, since the EPA has not responded accordingly Oceana along with the coalition of environmental groups and attorneys general from various states have filed letter warning the EPA of impeding litigation if it does not respond to the petition. To find out more about this action and to read the initial petition see the links below.

Letter of Intent to Sue the EPA


Petition to the EPA to Regulate Shipping Emissions


For more information about climate change and the oceans, click here.

 

OCEAN FERTILIZATION PROVES TO BE INEFFECTIVE

After a 45-day experiment, scientists working on the controversial ocean iron fertilization program, LOHAFEX, have reported the experiment to be an ineffective solution to climate change. The theory behind ocean fertilization is that the dumping of large amounts of iron in the ocean will spur phytoplankton blooms, which will draw in carbon dioxide as they grow. It has been suggested that as these blooms die and fall to the ocean depths they will carry with them this carbon and sequester it away from the atmosphere, thereby reducing the driver of climate change. The LOHAFEX scientists found that following the dumping of iron into the ocean, a phytoplankton bloom did take place, but was also followed by an increase in the population of zooplankton which ate most of the new phytoplankton, thereby preventing it from falling to the ocean floor. Iron fertilization is also likely to disrupt marine ecosystems and even exacerbate ocean acidification; as a result this ineffective method of sequestering carbon dioxide should be taken off the table as a strategy for mitigating climate change.

To learn more about the LOHAFEX experiment visit the projects website at the National Institute of Oceanography. To learn more about the conclusion of the experiment, read an article in Greenwire (subscription required).

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