Cruise ships plug in to cut pollution
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Cruise ships docking in Vancouver, a popular hub for tourists bound for Alaska, can now plug into the city's electricity grid — cutting their engines and their diesel air emissions.
Port Metro Vancouver, Canada's biggest port, unveiled a shore power facility for cruise ships while in harbor, a first in Canada and only the third of its kind in the world.
Cruise ships can now plug into the electrical grid of the provincial utility, BC Hydro, which says that its mostly hydroelectric-generated power is 90 percent nonpolluting.
"This project will significantly improve local air quality by reducing air emissions from cruise ships in downtown Vancouver throughout the cruise ship season," said Andrew Saxton, a member of Parliament for North Vancouver.
Long-term exposure to diesel engine exhaust likely causes lung cancer in humans and can trigger other lung and respiratory ailments, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Princess Cruises and Holland America Line have outfitted several of their fleet with onboard shore power equipment. Four Princess ships and one Holland America ship will use shore power in Vancouver during the 2009 Alaska season, which runs from May to September.
Related News
Alberta is a powerhouse for both green energy and fossil fuels
CALGARY - By Chris Varcoe, Calgary Herald
A few things are abundantly clear about the state of renewable energy in Alberta today.
First, the demise of Alberta’s Renewable Electricity Program (REP) under the UCP government isn’t going to see new projects come to a screeching halt.
In fact, new developments are already going ahead.
And industry experts believe private-sector companies that increasingly want to purchase wind or solar power are going to become a driving force behind even more projects in Alberta.
BluEarth Renewables CEO Grant Arnold, who spoke Wednesday at the Canadian Wind Energy Association conference, pointed out the sector is poised to keep…
