Shipping companies and ports have already begun to feel the effect of tarifs on goods and on certain (Chinese built) ships. The United States of America has imposed these tarifs in the misinformed and misguided belief that they will benefit the USA. In fact the tarifs will have the effect of isolating the US from coming to terms with itself and its neighbours and from finding ways to share the planet peacefully.
The latest shocker - if it is possible to be shocked anymore - follows on the US's earlier decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. It has now removed itself from meetings of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Those groups are attempting to reduce emissions - particularly from ships - to net zero by 2050.
In a supremely illogical statement the US claims that the effort to reduce emissions is an attempt to redistribute wealth under the guise of environmental protection by unwisely promoting the use of hypothetical and unproven fuels.
The truth of course is the very opposite: the US is atttempting to concentrate wealth by continuing to use (its own) fossil fuels at the expense of the environment and of other countries.
In recent days in the Port of Halifax we have seen:
1. A ship fueled by LNG (still a fossil fuel) but which can be adapted to a future fuel.
Is the Lake Shirasagi and expensive exercise in "green washing" by a leading auto manufacturer or is its alternate fuel and shore power capability progress?
There is irony of a pier full of wind generator tower components with a wind propelled ship also alongside.
2. The same ship equipped to use shore power (too bad that power here is largely fossil fuel generated and is not available at most piers anyway.)
3. A Fleckner rotor propelled ship, delivering components for offshore wind turbine power generation.
The E-Ship 1 uses windpower for direct propulsion.
Notice those red and white striped power plant chimneys in the background. They are from the natural gas fueled power plant in the background (the white tanks at lower left store back up heavy fuel which is used when market fluctuations or pipeline interuptions dictate.)
4. An ancient (by shipping standards) container ship arrived spouting particulates with impunity.
MSC Ingrid, built in 1999, "steams" into Halifax April 5.
5. The Port (and other Canadian ports) bragging about the opening of another cruise ship season - surely the most senselesss and uneeded use of fossil fuels - even if the ship and or port has shore power available. How can cruise ships be condoned in the era of climate emergency?
More irony?
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