WASHINGTON, D.C. - Friends of the Earth today released its annual report card on the cruise ship industry, and the results point toward the need for increased regulation of cruise ship pollution.
"We regulate water, sewage and pollution in our cities, but don't regulate cruise ships," said Congressman Sam Farr (D-Carmel). "And what are cruise ships if not small, floating cities? We must regulate how cruise ships dump their waste. We can't keep treating the ocean like a toilet and expect to continue exploiting resources forever. The ocean can't sustain that imbalance."
The 2010 "Cruise Ship Environmental Report Card" is the second released by Friends of the Earth. The group reports some improvements, including advances by the Disney cruise line. But other cruise companies, including Princess and Crystal Cruises, showed how much room there is for improvement.
"For the second year in a row, we've found that cruise lines are doing less than they can to limit the environmental impacts of their ships," said Marcie Keever, director of the Clean Vessels Campaign at Friends of the Earth. "From ending the use of dirty fuel that pollutes the air to stopping the disgusting practice of dumping sewage and other waste into the sea, it's time for the cruise industry to clean up its act."
Grades for each cruise line and each ship are included in the report, as well as information on how those grades were reached and steps the cruise industry can take to improve how it interacts with the environment.
"The pollution pumped out by cruise ships not only harms fragile marine ecosystems and fouls populated areas near ports, but it damages the very environment the cruise industry relies on for business," Rep. Farr said. "My Clean Cruise Ship Act, H.R. 3888, would regulate where and how cruise ships can dump waste water to minimize their harmful effects. We continue to see a few responsible companies moving in the right direction. I hope more will follow that lead."