Saturday 22 June 2019

How eco-friendly is cruising?

I've seen quite a few posts on social media recently demonising cruise ships as being particularly harmful to the environment, but how much of this is true and how much is scaremongering?
Let's break the pollution down into categories:


Air Pollution.
Sewage
Garbage
Oil

It's a fact that ships burn a lot of fuel, and that fuel is often heavy fuel oil, which is some of the dirtiest fuel there is besides coal. MARPOL Annex VI, introduced in 1997, aims to regulate air pollution from ships. Certain special areas (a full list can be found here) ban high-sulphur fuel oil from being used, and some only allow Marine Diesel Oil (which is much more expensive) to be burned. A handful of ships are fitted with seawater scrubbers to reduce the sulphur content of exhaust emissions, but these are experimental and not in widespread use, and essentially cut out the acid rain middleman by washing sulphur directly into the sea.Nevertheless, a typical cruise ship will emit more CO2 per passenger mile than an aeroplane, and if you fly to get to the cruise ship, you are adding even more emissions to the atmosphere. While modern vessels are far more efficient than the steam ships of old, they are still a major source of air pollution. For the lowest possible emissions, you may with to consider a cruise on a sailing ship

Disposal of sewage at sea is regulated by MARPOL Annex IV. It's probably easiest to quote the Annex at this point: "The discharge of sewage into the sea is prohibited, except when the ship has in operation an approved sewage treatment plant or when the ship is discharging comminuted and disinfected sewage using an approved system at a distance of more than three nautical miles from the nearest land; sewage which is not comminuted or disinfected has to be discharged at a distance of more than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land." Typical cruise ships are fitted with a Marine Sanitation Device, which disinfects the sewage in a similar manner to a municipal sewage plant. Ergo, it is no worse for the environment than what your city is pumping into the sea, with the advantage that the ship is dumping sewage much further from the shore! Untreated sewage may be discharged outside 12 miles, but a modern cruise ship will not do this except in an emergency. Some cruise ships are fitted with an Advanced Wastewater Purification System (AWWPS), which produces clear water (which is harmless and can be discharged almost anywhere) and a small amount of sewage sludge (which can be discharged as per treated sewage). Solid waste is pumped ashore for disposal at landfill.

Garbage comes under MARPOL Annex V. There are a variety of types of garbage, which must be separated and disposed of in different ways.
Food waste is usually comminuted and dumped at sea, since it poses no threat to marine life.
Solid waste can either be sent ashore for recycling or (if burnable) burned in an incinerator (outside of emission control areas with reference to Annex VI). Scrap metal and glass will be sent ashore for recycling. Although legally it cold be dumped at sea there is a financial incentive to sell scrap metal in port. Throwing plastic overboard is absolutely banned and companies can and have been fined for dumping plastic at sea. 

Oil is the most harmful waste stream and it is very heavily regulated by MARPOL Annex 1. Ships must keep a record of all waste oil disposed in an oil record book. Bilge water must be treated in an oily water separator and contain less than 15ppm of contamination before it can be pumped overboard. Waste oil can either be burned in an incinerator (see above) or boiler, or be sent ashore for disposal. 

Is cruising any worse for the environment than any other holiday? Well, yes. Certainly it's more harmful than backpacking/cycling holidays or a "staycation". Is a cruise from a UK port better than flying abroad? It depends on how far you're flying. A fly cruise to the Caribbean is probably the most harmful option. If you want to visit the Med, but want to avoid the pollution, it might be worth taking the train to Spain, France or Italy.

Sunday 9 June 2019

Anxious about public transport?

I've seen several posts recently on youtube and in facebook groups about people with autism spectrum conditions and anxiety struggling with public transport, especially when there are delays and cancellations, so here are some tips I use to cope:

General
Plan ahead. Book your tickets in advance if you can. Request assistance at the time of booking if you have a disability and need help with checking in and boarding. Research the route you're taking so you know where to change if neccessary.

Bus
Buses can't usually be booked in advance. You have to buy a ticket from the bus driver. Some bus companies don't give change while others do, so it's best to take some loose change with you so you can give the exact fare. Many companies now take contactless payment. Ticketing on buses can be confusing. Some companies do return tickets, some don't and some have day rover tickets. It's a good idea to research ticket types online before you travel. Unfortunately through ticketing may not be available if you need to change buses.
Most timetables are online and many of the major companies have mobile apps so you can check bus times before you leave the house.
Google maps is a great tool for checking the locations of bus stops. One problem I find is that a lot of bus routes aren't mapped, so you have to cross-check the timetable with a map to figure out where the route goes. When taking the bus in an unfamiliar area I have been known to follow the bus on google maps on my phone so I can see if a bus stop is coming up so I know when to ring the bell to stop the bus.
Another problem is that buses often don't run exactly to time. Some bus stops now have dot matrix signs to tell you when the next bus is, but these are quite rare. A mobile app may be a good investment in this case. If you miss your bus, as the saying goes, "there will be another one along in a minute".

Train
The best thing about trains is that routes are mapped, stops are announced in advance and through ticketing is available. If there is disruption on one route, it's quite easy to find a diversionary route to get you to your destination, and if a train is unable to proceed, the company can put on a replacement bus service or allow tickets to be used on buses to get you to where you need to go. Guards and station staff are available to assist if required. If you are stuck, someone will be able to tell you how to get to where you are going. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Tickets should be bought before you board (unless you are boarding at an unstaffed halt, in which case the on-board staff will sell you a ticket). You can buy tickets in advance online or at a station, or you can just buy at the station when you travel, but often the cheapest fares will be online. If you need assistance (especially for wheelchair users) this must be booked in advance. A wide variety of ticket types are available. If you need help choosing, ask at the ticket office.
I find the Realtime Trains app incredibly helpful, as it allows you to see whether trains are delayed and what platform they are expected at for any station in the country.

Aeroplane
If you're travelling internationally, the chances are you will end up flying. This will involve the double hassles of airport security and Customs & Immigration.
First of all, checking in. When you book your ticket, the airline should tell you how soon before the flight you need to arrive for check-in. Budget airlines such as easyjet prefer you to check in online and print your boarding pass at home before you go to the airport. If you have to change flights on your trip ask if the bags are checked in for the whole journey, or if you need to re-check your bags when you change planes. When changing planes in the USA, you will probably have to re-check your bags, but if you're travelling withing the EU this may not be necessary.
Prepare for security. Metal detectors will pick up belt buckles, keys, steel toecaps and spare change. It's best to wear trainers for flying and pack work boots in your checked luggage. Likewise, avoid wearing a belt. Stick to elasticated trousers that aren't going to fall down. Put keys and wallet in your hand luggage (you won't need your keys until you get home anyway) and keep your boarding card, passport and any other travel documents in a poly pocket. Some airports require laptops to be removed from hand luggage, some ask you to keep them in the bag. Ask a member of staff which it is before you get to the front of the queue if there are no signs indicating what you should do.
Immigration needs a lot of patience, tact and diplomacy. Be polite but firm with immigration officers. You may be stressed by having to wait in a queue but don't lose your temper with law enforcement. Have any documents you need in a poly pocket (as I said) ready to give to them. Inquire before you travel what documents you will need. The USA has a myriad of different forms to fill in depending on the nature of your trip, how long you are staying in the USA or whether you are a resident. Ask a member of staff to help filling in the form before you get to the front of the queue. If it isn't filled in properly you might be sent to the back of the queue again and nobody wants that.
When you finally reach the departure lounge, don't forget to arrive at the gate in good time. Some airports announce flights, some don't, so you have to keep an eye on the dot matrix screens. Don't get too engrossed in that book and miss your flight!
Delays and cancellations are rare, but when they do happen they can be catastrophic. It helps to have the phone number of your travel agent or a family member who can help you if you get stuck. If you have to stay overnight in a hotel, save all your receipts so you can claim compensation later on.

Ferry
Ferry trips can vary from 10 minute hops across to a small island or longer international trips to the continent. These almost always have to be booked in advance, as aeroplanes do. You may travel either as a foot passenger or you can take your car with you. The check-in process for international ferries is much the same as at an airport, but without the security theatre. Loading is first come first served. If you arrive early, you may get put on an earlier ferry. Ferries are usually just an end-to-end journey without any changing or intermediate stops. Once you're there, you're there. Delays and cancellations can happen due to weather or mechanical failure, unfortunately in these events there are no alternatives, you just have to wait. Sit back, relax and enjoy your cooked breakfast.