Earth Day 2022 - Travel and You

 Happy Earth Day 2022
April 22nd

Invest in Our Planet

Now is the time to preserve and protect our health, our families, our livelihoods… together, we must Invest In Our Planet.

There is still time to solve the climate crisis, but it's going to take all of us!

We love cruising the world's oceans and waterways.  It is one of the most enjoyable ways to explore the earth.  In order to continue doing so, we need to protect the oceans and our land for generations to come.  Each of you can help make a difference in the future of Mother Earth.

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22. Worldwide, various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day events in more than 193 countries are now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network.

Earth Day Network’s mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Earth Day 2022 is dedicated to raise awareness about what each of us does, and how we do it, which has a huge ripple effect on our ecosystems, and on the pace of corporate and government action.

Environmentally Conscious Vacation Experiences

Did you know that Cruise Lines offer an environmentally conscious vacation experience? 

CLIA Cruise Line Members lead, invest, and collaborate to minimize their ships’ impact on the environment.

CLIA ocean-going cruise lines are pursuing net carbon neutral cruising by 2050 across the global fleet.

Fueling the future 

The immediate future includes the introduction of alternate fuels in support of the IMO goal to achieve zero emissions. 

Cruise lines are at the forefront in developing responsible environmental practices, leading by example for the world’s shipping industry.  Learn more on CLIA website.  

Celebrity Beyond, which sails in just a few more days, is the first in the fleet to be LNG powered.  Royal Caribbean has 3 ships on order which will be powered by LNG.   Carnival Mardi Gras is already sailing.  As mentioned many more are to come.  Congratulations to the cruise lines which are taking this important measures to protect the future.

Lighthouse Project Trees4Travel Partnership 

The Globus family of brands Lighthouse Project is focused on three, give-back categories: 

• Planet: The Globus family of brands makes every effort to conserve and preserve in each destination visited. To protect waterways and wildlife and shine a light on organizations that do the same. 
• People: The Globus family of brands is dedicated to protecting, respecting and supporting the extraordinary communities of the world as well as improving the individual lives within them. The measure of success? – The megawatt smiles we see along the way. 
• Places: The parks, palaces, museums and monuments we enjoy today are the result of previous generations passionately committed to preservation. By way of the Lighthouse Project, the Globus family of brands aims to pay it forward so that future generations can enjoy the same glorious places to relax, renew and reflect. 

To offset travel’s carbon emissions @globusfamily is donating trees to be planted on behalf of every Avalon Waterways guest in 2022.  They area also inviting their guests to be involved.

For more information about the Globus family of brands’ Lighthouse Project, visit each company Web site at Globus, Cosmos, Avalon Waterways, Monograms. For more information about Trees4Travel, visit Trees4Travel.

Help End Plastic Pollution by finding out how many plastic items you consume every year 

and make a PLEDGE to reduce the amount.

Additional Resources:

 (click on the image to enlarge)

U.S. EPA | Earth Day

National Geographic for Kids

4Ocean Earth Day

A Global Concern

When we were in Southeast Asia before the pandemic we toured Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.  These signs underscore the need to take action to protect our environment.  We encourage you to start your education on this Earth Day 2022, and take steps to conserve and recycle during your vacations and daily lives.  

Thank you to CLIA, Participating Cruise Lines, EPA, Earth Day Network and their sponsors for efforts to educate and make changes necessary for sustainability.  And thank YOU for doing your part.  

We must work together to protect endangered and threatened species: bees, coral reefs, elephants, giraffes, insects, whales and more.

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Cruise Ships and Earth Day 2016

 Happy Earth Day 2016 
April 22nd

How Green are Cruise Ships?

Cruise ships operate in every ocean worldwide taking thousands of passengers to all parts of the globe.   There is growing concern that these floating resorts are polluting the waterways and air with all the waste that is generated by normal operations.

Polluted discharges (of sewage, grey water and oily bilge water) and air emissions are the chief sources of problems, but they also mark the biggest potential areas for improvement.

Cruise Ship Environmental Report Card

Friends of the Earth’s  annual  Cruise Report Card compares the environmental footprint of 16 major cruise lines and 167 cruise ships. The next report is due out shortly. View a PDF of the latest report card here.

The failures stem from not implementing equipment and procedures which would minimize pollution.  According to their website, the following determined the scores:

• To determine a cruise line’s Sewage Treatment grade, we compared the number of cruise ships in the cruise line that have installed advanced sewage treatment systems against the total number of ships in the cruise line.
• To determine the Air Pollution Reduction grade for each ship in a cruise line, only ships that dock at a port and plug in to available shoreside power hookups were graded. In addition, ships were given credit if they only utilize low sulfur fuels continuously at levels lower than required by international and U.S. law. 
• To determine the Water Quality Compliance grade for ships operating in Alaska, we used 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 notices of violation issued for individual cruise ships to each cruise line by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Ships were given an "N/A" if they traveled to Alaska but avoided Alaska’s strong water quality standards by discharging outside of those protected waters.
• To determine the Transparency grade for each cruise line we graded each line based on whether it responded to our 2014 requests for information regarding their environmental practices.
• The grades for each of the four criteria were averaged to calculate the Final Grade for each cruise line.

 Protect the Environment for Future Generations

Most people that love to cruise also have an interest in protecting the environment for the future.   We want to continue our quest to see more of the world, but at the same time, want to make sure Mother Earth is around for generations to come.  So, what can we as individuals do?

The FOE suggests letting Congress know that we want them to support the Clean Cruise Ship Act.  For those that are interested (click the following links):  Tell Congress to Cleanup the Cruise Industry.    Learn more about the FOE.

Is There Any Good News in the Report Card?

I have to admit that my initial reaction to the report card was one of shock.   The majority of the cruise lines have announced initiatives to protect the environment.   You'll see signs posted in your cabin encouraging you to reuse towels, just like you see in hotel rooms on land.   I have to give them the benefit of the doubt that they do intend to turn things around.   

When on a cruise ship, do your part by doing the little things:   reuse your towel,  don't throw anything overboard, or pollute in any other way.

We share this information, not to make any cruise line look bad, but rather to call awareness to a growing problem which can seriously impact all living things if left unchecked.  Thank you for reading this article and for doing your part to protect the environment.

Special thanks to the EPA and FOE for their efforts and for publishing the information which was the basis of this article.   See #EarthDayEveryDay on EPA website.

Earth Day 2015

 Happy Earth Day 2015 

How Green are Cruise Ships?

Cruise ships operate in every ocean worldwide taking thousands of passengers to all parts of the globe.   There is growing concern that these floating resorts are polluting the waterways and air with all the waste that is generated by normal operations.

Polluted discharges (of sewage, grey water and oily bilge water) and air emissions are the chief sources of problems, but they also mark the biggest potential areas for improvement.

Cruise Ship Environmental Report Card

Friends of the Earth’s  annual  Cruise Report Card compares the environmental footprint of 16 major cruise lines and 167 cruise ships. View a PDF of the report card here.

The failures stem from not implementing equipment and procedures which would minimize pollution.  According to their website, the following determined the scores:

• To determine a cruise line’s Sewage Treatment grade, we compared the number of cruise ships in the cruise line that have installed advanced sewage treatment systems against the total number of ships in the cruise line.
• To determine the Air Pollution Reduction grade for each ship in a cruise line, only ships that dock at a North American port that currently provides shoreside power hookups were graded.
• To determine the Water Quality Compliance grade for ships operating in Alaska, we used 2009 notices of violation issued for individual cruise ships to each cruise line by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Ships were given an ‘n/a’ if they traveled to Alaska but avoided Alaska’s strong water quality standards by discharging outside of those protected waters.
• The grades for each of the criteria were averaged to calculate the Final Grade for each cruise line.

 Protect the Environment for Future Generations

Most people that love to cruise also have an interest in protecting the environment for the future.   We want to continue our quest to see more of the world, but at the same time, want to make sure Mother Earth is around for generations to come.  So, what can we as individuals do?

The FOE suggests letting Congress know that we want them to support the Clean Cruise Ship Act.  For those that are interested (click the following links):  Tell Congress to Cleanup the Cruise Industry.    Learn more about the FOE.

Is There Any Good News in the Report Card?

I have to admit that my initial reaction to the report card was one of shock.   The majority of the cruise lines have announced initiatives to protect the environment.   You'll see signs posted in your cabin encouraging you to reuse towels, just like you see in hotel rooms on land.   I have to give them the benefit of the doubt that they do intend to turn things around.   

When on a cruise ship, do your part by doing the little things:   reuse your towel,  don't throw anything overboard, or pollute in any other way.

We share this information, not to make any cruise line look bad, but rather to call awareness to a growing problem which can seriously impact all living things if left unchecked.  Thank you for reading this article and for doing your part to protect the environment.

Special thanks to the EPA and FOE for their efforts and for publishing the information which was the basis of this article.   See #EarthDayEveryDay on EPA website.

Earth to Cruise Lines Keep it Up

Earth Day
 April 22, 2014

For the past several years we've taken a look at the cruise industry's response to the environment on Earth Day.   This year we'll review an update provided by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Highlights from their press release:

“CLIA member cruise lines continue to invest in systems and technologies that improve overall environmental performance,” said Christine Duffy, president and CEO of CLIA.  “The industry takes its responsibility as caretakers of the environment seriously.  We work collaboratively with regulators, design and engineering experts and a range of stakeholders to raise the bar on our ongoing efforts to preserve and protect the oceans and the nearly 600 ports our member cruise lines visit.” 



Following are examples of steps that cruise lines have taken to protect the environment:

• advanced wastewater treatment systems producing clean water
• new technologies that help to reduce air emissions (exhaust gas scrubbers, more efficient engines)
• using shore power where feasible
• energy conservation (LED lighting, high efficiency appliances, cabins heated by recycled hot water, special window tinting to use less air conditioning)
• ecological, non-toxic, slick hull coatings that increase energy efficiency and reduce air emissions

Cruise Line Recycling Highlights:

• increased non-hazardous waste recycled to shore by 18% and reduced total waste almost 5%
• recycled nearly 53% of the solid waste
• 1,254 tons of cardboard,  2,517 tons of scrap metal, 2,988 tons of glass, 669 tons of plastic and managed 748 tons of trash and international garbage at Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facilities
• over 52,000 gallons of used cooking oil annually 

These are just some samples of what individual cruise lines or family of brands have accomplished in 2013. The press release provides many more examples and additional details about how cruise lines have made a positive impact on the world.

The cruise industry is highlighting how its member lines are safeguarding the oceans and the environment through the recently launched ‘Cruise Forward’ industry-wide communications initiative.  Specific examples of how cruise lines across the globe are actively working to reduce the overall environmental impact of cruising and preserve and protect pristine oceans, beaches and ports can be found online at www.cruiseforward.org. 

Save the Waves

Royal Caribbean and other lines have special containers like these which help them separate the waste so that they can carry out these conservation efforts.

You can do your part by placing your garbage in the proper containers on the ship during your cruise.

On this Earth Day 2014, the earth is smiling about the progress made to date and hopes that everyone sailing on the seven seas continues in carrying out these efforts to protect the land and seas for future generations.

Here are some past Earth Day articles.  Links in these articles can assist you in additional research.  Each cruise line has a page dedicated to their efforts.  They are all very proud of what has been accomplished to date.

Past Articles:

Cruise Lines and Earth Day 2013 

Cruise Lines and Earth Day 2012 

Let There Be Green On the Sea

Every Day is Earth Day on Cruise Ship

 

Concordia Disaster Rekindles Venice Restrictions

Seabourn Spirit Docked in Venice, Italy

Could Concordia Disaster Impact Cruises to Venice

UNESCO has called on the Italian government to restrict access of large cruise ships to culturally and ecologically important areas, particularly Venice and its Lagoon which are visited by some 300 large cruise ships a year.

 

Arriving in Venice on Star Princess
Docked Next to RCCL Voyager of the Seas

UNESCO World Heritage Site - Venice

In a letter sent to the Italian Environment Minister on behalf of Director-General Irina Bokova, the Assistant Director-General for Culture Francesco Bandarin writes that “the tragic accident [of the Costa Concordia on 13 January] reinforces longstanding concern over the risk that large cruise liners pose to sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, particularly the Venice Lagoon and the Basin of San Marco." 

After presenting UNESCO’s condolences for the tragic loss of life caused by Costa Concordia accident and praising the efforts of the rescue teams and local population in dealing with the disaster, the letter urges the government to act quickly to develop alternative plans for maritime traffic around the World Heritage site of Venice. 

UNESCO contends that the cruise liner traffic in Venice is particularly damaging because of the fragile structure of the city. The ships cause water tides that erode the foundations of buildings. They contribute to pollution and impact the cityscape as they dwarf monuments in the heart of the city.

Venice Canals from Star Princess Deck

 Sailing into Venice

Those that follow our blog on a regular basis know that we were on Star Princess last May/June for a 12 Night Greek Isles & Mediterranean Cruise - Rome to Venice. Our captain urged us to be up on the outside decks before 7 AM to see the ship entering into Venice harbor.   It was an amazing sight - seeing Venice from a different perspective.

View our photo album on our Facebook Fan Page:

Arriving in Venice by Cruise Ship

As you can see from these images, the pier where we were docked was far from the heart of the city. In fact, one must take a water taxi or use the people mover to get into the city proper.

What Does the Future Hold

UNESCO's plea is not a new one, but it seems to have some new life as Italy's environment minister, Corrado Clini, appeared to take up the cause Tuesday.

"The aim is to free St. Mark's basin from the big ships once new canals have been dug," Clini was quoted by the Italian news agency ANSA as saying during a public appearance in northern Italy.

But Clini added that "in the meantime, it will be up to the port authority and to the city to decide which (sea) traffic is sustainable and compatible" with Venice's particular situation."

Venice officials have said that since tug boats guide the big cruise ships through the part of the lagoon weaving through the city, the risk of accidents is virtually eliminated.

In a city where "cars" are replaced by gondolas and small water craft, it is unthinkable that there could be a ban on larger vessels.   Let us hope that the cruise industry, UNESCO, and Italian authorities can work out a plan which protects Venice for years to come and still allows future generations the pleasure of seeing this amazing city of canals from the perspective of a cruise ship.

If a Mediterranean cruise, that includes Venice, is on your bucket list, you might want to plan that trip now in case restrictions are indeed put in place in the near future.

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

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Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat