Environmental Impact Of Shipping Essay Example

Environmental Impact Of Shipping Paper It was tasked with evolving the technical basis for the reduction mechanisms that may form part of a future IMO regime to control greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, and a draft of the actual reduction mechanisms themselves, for further consideration by Amos Marine Environment Protection Committee (MOPE) Ballast water Ballast water discharges by ships can have a negative impact on the marine environment. 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 he next port of call, wherever more cargo is loaded. Ballast water discharge typically contains a variety of biological materials, including plants, animals, viruses, and bacteria. These materials often include non-native, nuisance, invasive, exotic species that can cause extensive ecological and economic damage to aquatic ecosystems along with serious human health problems. Sound pollution Noise pollution caused by shipping and other human enterprises has increased in recent history. The noise produced by ships can travel long distances, and marine species who may rely on sound for their orientation, immunization, and feeding, can be harmed by this sound pollution The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species has identified ocean noise as a potential threat to marine life. Wildlife collisions Marine mammals, such a whales and manatees, risk being struck by ships, causing injury and death. We will write a custom essay sample on Environmental Impact Of Shipping specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Environmental Impact Of Shipping specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Environmental Impact Of Shipping specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer For example, if a ship is traveling at a speed of only 15 knots, there is a 79 percent chance of a collision being lethal to a whale. [9] One notable example of the impact of ship collisions is the endangered North Atlantic right whale, of which 400 or less remain. The greatest danger to the North Atlantic right whale is injury sustained from ship strikes. [9] Between 1970 and 1999, 35. 5 percent of recorded deaths Were attributed to collisions. [l O] During 1 999 to 2003, incidents of mortality and serious injury attributed to ship strikes averaged one per year. In 2004 to 2006, that number increased to 2. 6. [11] Deaths from collisions has become an extinction threat. [1 2] Atmospheric pollution Exhaust gases from ships are considered to be a significant source of air pollution, both for conventional pollutants and greenhouse gases. There is a perception that cargo transport by ship is low in air pollutants, because for equal weight and distance it is the most efficient transport method, according to shipping researcher Amy Bows-Larkin. 1 3] This is particularly true in comparison to air freight; however, because sea shipment accounts for far more annual tonnage and the distances are often large, shippings emissions are globally substantial. [1 3] A difficulty is that the year-on-year increasing amount shipping evenness gains in efficiency, such as from slow-steaming or the use of kites. The growth in tone-kilometers of sea shipment has averaged 4 perceptually since the sass. [14] and it has grown by a factor of 5 since the sass. 3] There a re now over 100,000 transport ships at sea, of which about 6,000 are large container ships. [13] General requirements for pollution prevention in the marine environment Most international regulations on marine pollution come from the 1 973 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (AMORAL), which was updated in 1978. AMORAL was developed by the International Maritime Organization (l MO) and is aimed at preventing and minimizing pollution from ships both accidental and from routine operations. There have been a number Of amendments to the Convention since it was first produced, and AMORAL now has six technical annexes covering marine pollution by: oil noxious liquid substances carried in bulk harmful substances carried in packaged form sewage from ships garbage from ships air pollution from ships Prevention of marine pollution by garbage and sewage The disposal of garbage and sewage from ships is a major environmental issue, and Annexes IV and V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships were developed to address this. Within the KICK, Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage) Regulations 1 998 were developed to address this and were updated in 2008 to reflect changes add to the system internationally. You can [download MGM 385 (M+F) Guidance on the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage and Garbage from Ships) Regulations 2008(HTTPS://www. Gob. Westernmost/ publications/ MGM n -385-prevention-of-pollution-by-sewage-and-garbage-from- ships-regulations-2008) under these Regulations: every ship of 12 meters or more must display placards informing crew and passengers about disposal ARQ reorients for garbage every ship of 400 gross tones or certificated for 1 5 passengers or more must have a garbage management plan and maintain a garbage record book The Regulations also pacify that vessels covered by the regulations must have at least one of the following: a sewage treatment plant which complies with the Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 1 999 a sewage commutin g and disinfecting system, with facilities for temporary storage of sewage a holding tank for the retention of sewage which has sufficient capacity and has a visual indicator of the amount of its contents Air pollution and ozone-depleting substances Air pollution from ships, and in particular the emission of sulfur and nitrogen compounds (SOX and Knox) and ozone-depleting substances (ODDS) is trickily controlled by regulations that implement the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (AMORAL) and its various annexes and protocols. AMORAL Annex VI, which is specifically about air pollution, has 19 separate regulations, as well as a Code for controlling nitrogen oxide emissions.