Dumpster Cruise Lines

by : Aparna
"Delivering the good life, indulging in passion for adventure and culture, providing upscale amenities and comfort" - these are some words that cruise lines use to lure passengers. The Cruise industry, rapidly growing at $38 billion (2007) per year, serving 13-15 million passengers per year, is one of the scariest businesses in terms of it's effect on environmental degradation.  A typical voyage aboard a cruise ship for one week with average 3000 passengers has 210,000 gallons of sewage, 1 million gallons of waste water, 130 million gallons of hazardous waste, 8 tons of solid waste, 25,000 gallons of oily bilge water, all of it prohibited from being discharged within 3 miles of shore.  More than 3 miles out however, raw untreated sewage can be discharged along with garbage, solid waste etc!!  "To what effect on tides that wash ashore, on sea and marine life, on the growth of pathogens and toxicity of our waters?" I ask.

Although there are regulations - the Clean Water Act, most notably - there is not one law or rule, the enforcement is weak, and the industry continues to rapidly expand around the world.  Being in Juneau, Alaska last summer, on the icefield research camps, I was flabbergasted seeing 4 cruise ships in port every evening.  The cruise liners were gorgeous, all lit up, were huge in size beyond my imagination, looking extraterrestrial and inviting to me who loves anything to do with boats and water.

But when I look at the facts on the effect of cruise liners on the world environment, I am disgusted and wish I had chosen a career in Environmental Studies instead.  When someone tells you about their wonderful cruise vacation, its a downer to think about the polluting facts about their voyage!  That's what this remix is about.