Don’t carry on cruising... it’s taking a toll on planet
CRUISE holidays should be curbed to save the planet – as one ship produces more carbon emissions than 12,000 cars, a study finds.
The industry is also a major ocean polluter and laws are urgently needed to counter the impact it has on the environment and people’s health, scientists said.
The findings come as cruise operators enjoy a surge in bookings now that rules which limited travel amid the pandemic are being lifted around the world.
But study author Dr Josep Lloret, of Spain’s University of Girona, said a ship carrying 2,700 passengers can produce a ton of waste a day – the same generated by an average person annually.
Evidence from more than 200 research papers also found cruises and ferries in the Mediterranean produce a tenth of all ships’ carbon emissions.
And scientists concluded cruise ships headed for New Zealand are three times more polluting than planes.
Spending a night on a cruise liner costs 12 times more energy than staying in a hotel on land, researchers found.
There are also widespread reports of vessels illegally dumping waste at sea.
And noise, air pollution and difficult working conditions – on board, at ports and in shipyards – pose physical and mental health risks to workers.
Dr Lloret, whose findings were published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, said: ‘Cruising is a prime example of how the fates of our health and our environments are intertwined. Up until now, most studies have looked at aspects of this in isolation. We need global legislation to minimise damage on both our oceans and our health.’