Cars or Cargo Ships on Global Warming

[fuzzytomcat]

Granted cars today do pollute but so do other things we don't see everyday.

Ocean Going Cargo Ships use the dirtest fuel on the planet period known as "No. 6 Fuel Oil" or more common "Bunker C Oil", 45,000 to 27,000 ppm of Sulfer Dioxide thats 2.7 to 4.5 % a stagering amount with no restrictions at all. Simular fuels used on land are max. 25 ppm to be decreased to 15 ppm by 2012. Sulfer Dioxide is the leading cause of "Asid Rain" thats going on in Asian Shipping lanes today ontop of the largest ECO system of the world, with the added green house gasses they create destroying our oceans very life.

One Ship -
1) uses between 25 and 100 gal per min at a idle
2) they carry between 1,000,000 and 3,000,000 gal of "DIRTY" fuel
3) 24 hours of operation is equal to between 300,000 and 500,000 average midsize cars of pollution
4) there are over 20,000 ships operating at any given time worldwide
5) thats between 6,000,000,000 and 10,000,000,000 average midsize cars of pollution in 24 hours.

So the next time you by something not from the USA and it could have been shipped here via the Sea, whats the real cost? That compact flourescent lamp from Asia that saves you $2.00 over 5 years is it really worth it.

I know that the little country that only has bananas could be crushed by changing this cheep I mean really cheep fuel source but this all needs to be put into prespective.


http://www.usor.com/pdfs/msds/marine/Bunker_C.pdf
http://www.labo-analytika.com/html/bunker_c_spec.html

http://www.edf.org/documents/3807_smogalert_2004060.pdf
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-08-30-ship-pollution_x.htm

[Quantum]

Aren't cars a bigger polluter over all?

Remember there were probably 1000s of other compact fluorescent lamps on that ship, so it does get divided out a lot and it produces a lot less carbon than traveling by air.

While I agree, it's nice to look at carbon footprint and all, the world is finally starting to come in to it's own on the global economic arena and at the same time America isn't liking it and becoming more isolationist in feeling, which can only hut it's economy in the long run. America has to accept that it can no longer be the biggest and best for everything, but that shouldn't stop it from being a big global economic player.

[fuzzytomcat]

Aren't cars a bigger polluter over all?

I'm not sure, ships unlike cars are basicly monitered by somewhat transparent accountable agencies even our own eyes. Cruse Liners or land locked Ships use a totaly diffrent fuel source "No. 4 or No. 5 Fuel Oil" which is monitored because we can see them there within our boundries. The offshore "Cargo Ship" using the "Bunker C"  fuel is the worse of the worse and who monitors this 200 miles offshore let alone 1000's of miles offshore, NASA or ESA and there affiliates .... maybe. The asid rain cargo ships create from the Sulfer Dioxide or NOx Gas cannot be disputed there smoke stackes are only hundreds of feet off the ocean, why are coral reefs dying, why are kelp beds disappearing ....... I don't know why, but PH changes have remarkable effects on many things and possibly our oceans. I was told many years ago about some WMD's ........ from some expert government officials that didn't pan out, trust is hard to find these days 

[texasboy]

Since 2005 (and before)  fuel additives have been available to vessels using Bunker C fuel, that increase the quality of fuel supplied. one example. http://www.protecusa.com/purafuel_oil_info.htm. There is now no need for these ships to be polutting the atmosphere anymore than any one else. Bunker C is now not the prominent source of fuel for modern ships. Yes you may still have a few rogue Greek/Monrovian/Panamanian owners trying their luck,but as Quantum indicated most modern cruise liners and container vessels run on a much lighter,less pollutant fuel. No more blowing black soot into the air as in the old days. Modern ship owners keep a fairly new fleet in operation. I check vessels going through the Panama Canal and find very few under 5-7 years old.
Would feel that your figures are becoming obselete very rapidly.
cheers