Stop Ship Industry Pollution & Expansion
Stop Ship Industry Pollution & Expansion
The Issue
The cruise ship industry is expanding, and we need your help to protect the health of citizens in port communities, the seafood industry, and our fragile ecosystems.
The cruise industry has hired multiple lobbyists to promote their cruise ships in Virginia, but the story they tell is one-sided and does not tell the dark side of this unhealthy industry. The industry exaggerates economic benefits, uses foreign-flagged ships to avoid taxes, exploits communities and aggressively challenges any local restrictions, and pollutes the air and water.
Cruise ship pollution is unparalleled.
These ships are floating cities, the larger ones can carry more than 7500 passengers and more than 2000 crew. They burn dirty fuel to generate 10-100M Watts of power, enough to power more than 60,000 homes. Just one cruise ship docked for a day at port can emit exhaust equivalent to 34,400 idling trucks with pollutants that are linked to cancer, respiratory problems, and brain disorders.
Additionally, estimates show a smaller cruise ship carrying 3,000 passengers and crew can generate 210,000 gallons of raw sewage; 1 million gallons of gray water (from sinks, showers, and washing machines); 130 gallons of hazardous materials; up to 8 tons of solid waste; and 25,000 gallons of oily water.
Virginia leads the nation in oyster and hard clam production and is the nation’s fourth largest producer of marine products overall. Virginia’s seafood industry is estimated at over $1 billion and employs over 7,000 people. Ocean acidification that results from cruise ship pollution directly threatens this industry.
Federal and international regulations have loopholes that allow this industry to pollute with disregard for impacts; thus, more than 120 ports, communities, states, and countries around the world have limited or ban cruise ship discharge and/or require cleaner fuels. It is time for Virginia to follow suit.
Sign and share this petition to stop cruise ship pollution, and support Virginians while ensuring clean waters/air for a healthy ecosystem to enable a robust seafood economy.
Follow us on Facebook for the latest updates.
686
The Issue
The cruise ship industry is expanding, and we need your help to protect the health of citizens in port communities, the seafood industry, and our fragile ecosystems.
The cruise industry has hired multiple lobbyists to promote their cruise ships in Virginia, but the story they tell is one-sided and does not tell the dark side of this unhealthy industry. The industry exaggerates economic benefits, uses foreign-flagged ships to avoid taxes, exploits communities and aggressively challenges any local restrictions, and pollutes the air and water.
Cruise ship pollution is unparalleled.
These ships are floating cities, the larger ones can carry more than 7500 passengers and more than 2000 crew. They burn dirty fuel to generate 10-100M Watts of power, enough to power more than 60,000 homes. Just one cruise ship docked for a day at port can emit exhaust equivalent to 34,400 idling trucks with pollutants that are linked to cancer, respiratory problems, and brain disorders.
Additionally, estimates show a smaller cruise ship carrying 3,000 passengers and crew can generate 210,000 gallons of raw sewage; 1 million gallons of gray water (from sinks, showers, and washing machines); 130 gallons of hazardous materials; up to 8 tons of solid waste; and 25,000 gallons of oily water.
Virginia leads the nation in oyster and hard clam production and is the nation’s fourth largest producer of marine products overall. Virginia’s seafood industry is estimated at over $1 billion and employs over 7,000 people. Ocean acidification that results from cruise ship pollution directly threatens this industry.
Federal and international regulations have loopholes that allow this industry to pollute with disregard for impacts; thus, more than 120 ports, communities, states, and countries around the world have limited or ban cruise ship discharge and/or require cleaner fuels. It is time for Virginia to follow suit.
Sign and share this petition to stop cruise ship pollution, and support Virginians while ensuring clean waters/air for a healthy ecosystem to enable a robust seafood economy.
Follow us on Facebook for the latest updates.
686
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Petition created on September 30, 2024