Here’s a sampling of stories that have to do with shipping and how climate concerns are driving change for the better.
Thirsty? If you’re on a ship at sea, fresh water is something you don’t want to be without — and if you are on a coastline running out of fresh water as saltwater intrudes into the ground water supply or a drought is hitting your reservoirs, you may be looking at solutions like this one.
Sales Start And First Orders Received For The Energy Efficiency Champion Alfa Laval AQUA Blue E2 Freshwater Generator
Okay — let’s say you are operating commercial cargo ships, and you are concerned about cutting emissions. What operational strategies can you use, what can you do about ship design, and what kind of information is useful?
Inmarsat Maritime’s Decarbonisation Toolkit Presents Framework For A Successful Transition To A Greener Future
Speaking of cutting emissions, you might be doing it because it’s the right thing to do. And maybe because it’s also the law…
New Legislation Seeks to Combat Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Shipping
Cutting emissions doesn’t stop when ships reach port. Workers are looking to save jobs from automation as ports go green with electric vehicles under Biden administration guidelines.
Jobs at Stake as California Port Terminals Go Green
Another approach to getting carbon out of shipping: shift to engines running on Ammonia. Yes, it can be done and it has big implications for bulk energy storage too.
WinGD and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding sign MoU for ammonia collaboration
Those offshore wind farms are sprouting up all over. But, what kind of ship do you need to install those towers and get them up and running?
ABB Wins Large Systems Order For Havfram Wind S Two New Offshore Wind Turbine Installation Vessels
The age of sail is making a comeback — but with a twist. The wind is free. A ship at sea that can tap it can cut fuel burn and emissions. New sail technology is different; WindWings are a rigid sail technology that can be fitted to existing ships and on those purpose-built to incorporate them.
New Collaboration Focusing on Hull Design to Maximize Wind-Assisted Propulsion
Supply chain problems are popping up again. The Panama Canal’s water problems because of climate are pushing up trans-Pacific container shipping rates, as are labor issues. It’s not possible to ignore climate’s impact on everything — because the weather is everywhere.
Panama Canal Drought Seen Sending Transpacific Container Rates North
...Meanwhile, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) confirmed that last month was the driest for more than 70 years, and there was growing concern that the drought would worsen with the return of the El Nino climate phenomenon later this year. According to scientists, this could bring unprecedented heatwaves and cause global temperatures to soar.
Speaking of El Niño… it will have multiple impacts, but this may be of interest to some.
El Niño Has Officially Arrived
The anticipated persistence of El Niño has also influenced NOAA’s 2023 Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Hurricane Outlooks, which were released last month. El Niño conditions typically suppress hurricane activity in the Atlantic Basin while favoring strong hurricane activity in the central and eastern Pacific Basins.
Why is this good news overall?
It shows there is at least one sector of the economy where Climate Change is not treated as fake news, but as something to be addressed and managed. These kinds of stories seldom make the news unless something goes horribly wrong — but they are definitely worth tracking. It’s important to get the word out that there are solutions, that something can be done — and it is actually happening. It makes it easier to push for more and speed up agendas.
Draper Kauffman: “...those who do not try to create the future they want must endure the future they get.”