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I've never understand why the problem of "the X largest ships contribute a shocking amount of pollution" hasn't been solved. It can't be that hard given the lim

I've never understand why the problem of "the X largest ships contribute a shocking amount of pollution" hasn't been solved. It can't be that hard given the limited number of ships, right?

agentdrtran 7y ago
People who own or travel on boats are rich and the people most affected by the pollution they spew are not
- graeme 7y ago
  ....this article is about NYC, one of the richest places in NYC. Air pollution doesn't spare the rich.
  - Ericson2314 7y ago
    NYC is not uniformly rich at all. It is only the astounding wealth of the richest New Yorkers that makes it appear so. Who exactly is affected in NYC depends on the dock and wind direction. I have read (somewhere I forget) that air quality is in the mean worse in the Bronx; by no means is the outcome of this affecting all classes uniformly.
- cosmodisk 7y ago
  When you are a billionaire and buy a massive apartment in Manhattan just above a street that has thousands of polluting cars passing by every hour.
- subpixel 7y ago
  That’s not quite true. Cruises can be downright cheap compared to a comparable period of time at a hotel. Some of the cheapest cruises of all leave NYC, spend two nights at sea, and return.
zionic 7y ago
Boats at this scale should be nuclear. It's a shame there isn't a better path for non-military nuclear ocean vessels.
- bdefore 7y ago
  - "Permission to harbor, Sir" - "You said this is a nuclear ship sir?" - "Correct" - "Aaand you're not speaking figuratively of the geriatric waste you're carrying?" - "Correct. We need you to dispose of our very literal nuclear waste." - "Roger. Please stand by."
  - cushychicken 7y ago
    This sounds so familiar but I'm not placing it. Snow Crash?
    - bdefore 7y ago
      Uh oh. Never thought I'd reach the day I channeled Neal Stephenson.
    - cyberbanjo 7y ago
      Snow Crash has been mentioned a lot here, is it an anniversary?
      - Rebelgecko 7y ago
        Maybe because HBO picked up the rights a week or two ago?
        cushychicken 7y ago
        It's the birthday present I've been waiting years for.
- nradov 7y ago
  No problem. Heat and electricity from shore based nuclear power plants can be used to manufacture synthetic carbon neutral fuels. Run the ships on that. The technology has existed for decades, it's just more expensive than burning fossil fuels. But installing nuclear reactors in modern commercial vessels is a total non starter for cost and security reasons.
fulafel 7y ago
Pollution gets solved by regulation, this had been shown again and again.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
pg_is_a_butt 7y ago
There are no laws in international waters, so the ships burn a thick sludge oil.
service_bus 7y ago
International waters have very little regulation. Many places have rules and the ships switch to a cleaner fuel in these waters, but when they're on the open sea they have no incentive to not use bunker fuel.

I've never understand why the problem of "the X largest ships contribute a shocking amount of pollution" hasn't been solved. It can't be that hard given the limited number of ships, right?

agentdrtran 7y ago

People who own or travel on boats are rich and the people most affected by the pollution they spew are not

graeme 7y ago
....this article is about NYC, one of the richest places in NYC. Air pollution doesn't spare the rich.
- Ericson2314 7y ago
  NYC is not uniformly rich at all. It is only the astounding wealth of the richest New Yorkers that makes it appear so. Who exactly is affected in NYC depends on the dock and wind direction. I have read (somewhere I forget) that air quality is in the mean worse in the Bronx; by no means is the outcome of this affecting all classes uniformly.
cosmodisk 7y ago
When you are a billionaire and buy a massive apartment in Manhattan just above a street that has thousands of polluting cars passing by every hour.
subpixel 7y ago
That’s not quite true. Cruises can be downright cheap compared to a comparable period of time at a hotel. Some of the cheapest cruises of all leave NYC, spend two nights at sea, and return.

zionic 7y ago

Boats at this scale should be nuclear. It's a shame there isn't a better path for non-military nuclear ocean vessels.

bdefore 7y ago
- "Permission to harbor, Sir" - "You said this is a nuclear ship sir?" - "Correct" - "Aaand you're not speaking figuratively of the geriatric waste you're carrying?" - "Correct. We need you to dispose of our very literal nuclear waste." - "Roger. Please stand by."
- cushychicken 7y ago
  This sounds so familiar but I'm not placing it. Snow Crash?
  - bdefore 7y ago
    Uh oh. Never thought I'd reach the day I channeled Neal Stephenson.
  - cyberbanjo 7y ago
    Snow Crash has been mentioned a lot here, is it an anniversary?
    - Rebelgecko 7y ago
      Maybe because HBO picked up the rights a week or two ago?
      - cushychicken 7y ago
        It's the birthday present I've been waiting years for.
nradov 7y ago
No problem. Heat and electricity from shore based nuclear power plants can be used to manufacture synthetic carbon neutral fuels. Run the ships on that. The technology has existed for decades, it's just more expensive than burning fossil fuels. But installing nuclear reactors in modern commercial vessels is a total non starter for cost and security reasons.

fulafel 7y ago

Pollution gets solved by regulation, this had been shown again and again.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

pg_is_a_butt 7y ago

There are no laws in international waters, so the ships burn a thick sludge oil.

service_bus 7y ago

International waters have very little regulation. Many places have rules and the ships switch to a cleaner fuel in these waters, but when they're on the open sea they have no incentive to not use bunker fuel.