 | By Abby RussoCommunications Intern |
The following blog was written by one of our Summer 2017 interns. For more information about our internships, visit our internship page here.
So, it’s almost summer, which means it’s time to plan a trip to the beach. I want to travel in the most eco-friendly way possible and I’m a college student with little money, so I’ll probably spend my summer by the James River. However, if you’re travelling internationally, what’s the best way to get to your destination without vastly increasing your carbon footprint? When energy efficiency is calculated by miles per gallon, traveling by freight ship clocks in as the third most efficient way to travel behind only bicycle and walking, which begs the question – are cargo ships the most eco-friendly way to travel?
In terms of transporting cargo, container ships are by far the most energy efficient form of transport compared to trains, trucks, and planes. For each ton of cargo using 1 kilowatt of energy, a container ship can travel more than twice as far as a train, and nearly seventy times as far as a Boeing-747. Also, shipping cargo in any form accounts for 3 percent of carbon pollution while traveling by plane alone produces between 2 and 3 percent of carbon pollution.
While cargo ships boast more efficiency than other forms of shipping cargo, they aren’t perfect. Most ships burn heavy bunker fuel, which releases chemicals like sulfur into the ocean and air. At the same time, cargo ships continue to travel globally whether or not we decide to book passage, while travelers directly affect the usage of planes, trains, and other forms of travel.
Fortunately for travelers and the planet, cargo ships are undergoing a revolution to become more eco-friendly and efficient. The International Maritime Organization implemented new regulations for cargo ships and introduced the Energy Efficiency design index. The EEDI presents considerations for procedures and ship design to make them more efficient and to reduce their carbon pollution. Ships with a good index have maximum fuel consumption and minimal pollution. The EEDI also outlines stipulations for the introduction of new ships designed to the index, and ships are currently being developed to make use of renewable energy, like wind and solar power.
Eco-friendly considerations aside, travelling by cargo ship presents other benefits. Because of cargo travels worldwide, there are ports to visit in major cities across the globe. The few passengers on cargo ships travel in accommodations on board and chefs provide meals that passengers take alongside the crew. Other than meal times, the passenger has few obligations other than taking in the open ocean. Also, how many people can say they travelled via cargo ship?
The only downsides, depending on your lifestyle, are the cost and the time it takes to travel around the world. Traveling by freighter costs about $100 per day which adds up when it takes between 80 to100 days to travel all the way around the world. Sure, you could take a trip in segments or sail across the sea and never return, but I like a good round trip.
There might be a big opportunity cost and price tag, but traveling by cargo ship is certainly something to consider. Maybe the most eco-friendly way to travel internationally would be to learn to sail and cross the ocean using nothing but the wind. I saw Life of Pi though. I probably won’t do that.