Bring Back the Sailing Ships!
Dr. X posts this from the Sargasso Sea:
"Ships emit twice the CO2 of planes, according to - no, really - Intertanko."
posted by Latouche at Large at 10:19 PM
October 18, 2007
"Ships emit twice the CO2 of planes, according to - no, really - Intertanko."
1 Comments:
This is all very true - and your First Sea Lord is already on the case.
I suspect ships are vastly more efficient in terms of Co2 emitted per ton of cargo per mile, because they are by far the cheapest way to move cargo, but this is no excuse for not sailing, particularly for bulk cargos (the last commercial windjammers tended to run jute, oil, ore, where time was less important than cost.)
There are designs around for modern cargo ships with a principle sail rig, a combination of a junk sails and a giant schooner rig.
Because modern rigs require very small crews compared to their ancestors, I suspect it's cost efficient.
This is a total guess, but let's say that by using a sailing rig on a large bulk carrier ship, speed is reduced by 2/3, and fuel by about 4/5.
The question is then whether tripling the number of cargo ships (to maintain the same amount of delivery on time) and crews is cost effective versus the giant savings in fuel, which is only getting more and more expensive, plus the externality of saving the planet.
Here's my suspicion: it would work with the carbon trade idea, if pollution taxes were assessed against ships, or more exactly, cargos. This would have to be done at dockside at loading, because ship ownership is soooooo sketchy.
My take: it seems possible that sailing ships can work again, if an effective system of carbon emission trades is enacted in shipping, where windjammers gain credits and big diesels lose them, and the fees are collected - or distributed in the case of windjammers - at dockside worldwide on each loaded cargo.
-First Sea Lord, Second in baseless speculation.
Post a Comment
<< Home