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> A single cruise ship is estimated to produce more pollution than one million cars. In Europe, cruise ships emit 10x more pollution on the coastlines than the
by TheCoelacanth 7y ago
> A single cruise ship is estimated to produce more pollution than one million cars. In Europe, cruise ships emit 10x more pollution on the coastlines than the EU's entire 260 million cars.
That statement, unqualified, is simply untrue. They produce more of specific types of pollution, NOx and SOx. They do not produce more pollution in general. Cars still produce a huge amount of carbon, particulate matter and VOCs.
Ship pollution does need to be addressed, but this sentiment comes dangerously close to letting cars off the hook for the massive amounts of pollution they produce.
- endorphone 7y agoCars produce little VOCs and are not a significant source. When it comes to particulate matter cars are absolutely eclipsed by sea vessels, with a single cruise ship creating more than a million cars. VOCs -- irrelevant to this conversation. SOx, NOs, Particulate Matter -- A single cruise ship is worse than a million cars. The cruise ship industry absolutely eclipses cars by a magnitude+. Carbon -- cars produce a lot of greenhouse gases. That isn't an air quality issue, though, which is the topic that we're talking about. Cruise ships are an absolute disaster ecologically. Cars are bad, but again because cars are bad we have made incredible progress.
- Jamwinner 7y agoLooks like someone elsewhere in the comments did the math, it is absolutely true. Cars literally use precious metals to catlyze pollutants form a highly refined fuel source, controled for a perfect stociometric burn in real time while ships... well they just belch it out. If you think the two are even nearly equal you are uninformed about how cars work, how ships work, or likely both.
- TheCoelacanth 7y agoNo, they made the same error I just called out. Ships produce more of certain specific pollutants. They don't produce more pollution in general.
- greglindahl 7y agoHow is that an error? Other people might not interpret "in general" the same way you intend. CO2 is much less hazardous (per ton) than nitrogen and sulfur oxides.
- TheCoelacanth 7y ago"Pollution" is not a synonym for NOx and SOx. Unless you are taking a holistic view of pollution, you shouldn't be making such broad claims about "pollution". Cars are a bigger contributor to climate change than ships and in most geographical areas where people live, they are a bigger contributor to poor air quality than ships.
- greglindahl 7y agoI didn't even mention the word "pollution", are you sure you responded to what I said?
- TheCoelacanth 7y ago> A single cruise ship is estimated to produce more pollution than one million cars. In Europe, cruise ships emit 10x more pollution on the coastlines than the EU's entire 260 million cars. The statement I'm refuting is this, which says "pollution" twice with no further qualification.
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- endorphone 7y agoThis conversation is about air quality. The use of the word pollution is clear. Further we are talking specifically about areas where ships frequent, so if now you want to claim victory by citing someone living mid-continent... No one gave a pass to cars. But the cold, hard truth is that for air quality pollution of all sorts, cars have improved dramatically[1]. Cruise ships have not. [1] - Even in Europe where diesel is far more prevalent, and the problems it brings. A relatively tiny cruise ship industry still eclipses the car industry for every variety of air quality pollution, by a magnitude plus.