Cruise ships are powered with heavy crude
oil. According to the environment
association NABU, a cruise ship emits
the same quantity of pollutants during one
cruise as 5 million cars on the same route.
That definitely does not make them
“eco-friendly”. The US Federal
Environmental Protection Agency estimates
that in a single day, passengers on a
typical cruise ship will cause
·
“21,000
gallons of sewage
·
one ton of garbage
·
170,000
gallons of wastewater from sinks,
showers and laundry
·
More than 25
pounds of batteries, fluorescent lights,
medical wastes and expired chemicals
·
Up to 6,400
gallons of oily bilge water from
engines
·
Four plastic bottles per passenger – about
8,500 bottles per day”
The EPA further states that ships incinerate the majority of their
garbage, thus contributing to the pollution of the air, especially in coastal
regions and on the ocean.
The bad news is that the cruising industry is huge, generating billions
of dollars every year. In 1970, ships were only accommodating 600-700 people
while nowadays, 5000 people find room on the luxury cruise liners which are
growing rapidly due to the strong demand.
