Why Are Cruise Ships Bad For The Environment

How this sewage is handled by cruise operators is a major cause for concern when dealing with cruise ship environmental impact.

Why are cruise ships bad for the environment. Thats because a large cruise carries thousands of passengers each of whom produces a personal waste stream. Cruise ships large tankers and bulk cargo carriers use a huge amount of ballast water which is often taken on in the coastal waters in one region after ships discharge wastewater or unload cargo and discharged at the next port of call wherever more cargo is loaded. Steve CordoryShutterstock Not only can cruise ships generate the same amount of sulfur dioxide fumes as 131 million cars in a day but they also dump boatloads of noxious bilge water into the ocean.

Cruise ships have been accused of being as polluting as a million cars. Tourists sleep and eat on cruise ships which means very little is spent in the local economy and this is a problem across the world. On top of the pollution caused by their exhaust fumes cruise ships have been caught discarding trash fuel and sewage directly into the ocean.

For example the cruise ship industry is not subject to the same. In 2014 nine norovirus outbreaks were reported through the CDCs Vessel Sanitation. Even while at dock cruise ships often run dirty diesel engines to provide electrical power to passengers and crew.

Emissions from cruise ship engines include nitrogen oxides sulfur. When you hop onto a cruise your carbon footprint rises. Even while at dock cruise ships often run dirty diesel engines to provide electrical power to passengers and crew.

They deprive local economies. Cruise ships do pose some additional environmental risks compared with other vessels. In fact every persons carbon footprint on a cruise is about three times as high as it would be on land.

Environmental Protection Agency estimated that during a one-week voyage a large cruise ship with capacity for 3000 passengers and crewmembers can produce around 210000 gallons 794850 L of sewage stream one million gallons 3785 million L of greywater 25000 gallons 95000 L of oily bilge water 150 gallons 568 L of hazardous wastes 8 tons of solid waste and a. Cruise ships generate significant quantities of wastes that the industry disposes of with surprisingly little regulation. Cruise ships are also responsible for significant air pollution from the dirty fuel they burn which can lead to serious human health problems especially in port communities.