Is ferry more eco-friendly than flying?

Are boats more environmentally friendly than planes?

Dude, boats are way greener than planes, no question. Think about it – one long flight? That’s, like, a year’s worth of emissions for someone in, say, Bangladesh, I read. Crazy, right? It’s insane how much those jets guzzle fuel.

Seriously, the carbon footprint is HUGE for planes. Boats, even big cruise ships, are still way better, comparatively speaking. There are downsides, for sure, but compared to air travel, it’s a total no-brainer.

Here’s the lowdown:

• Planes: Massive CO2 emissions. Jet fuel is a killer. Lots of noise pollution too.
• Boats: Less CO2 per passenger-mile, generally. Still some pollution, obvi, but far less. Noise is way less impactful. More emissions if it’s a huge cruise liner, though.

My cousin took a cruise to the Caribbean this year. It felt way more sustainable then flying, you know? Less emissions.

But, umm, yeah… boats still have their problems! Shipping, particularly, relies on fossil fuels, but things are improving. I think. Hopefully anyway. And there’s waste, sewage and all that. The whole industry needs a serious overhaul. But planes? Planes are much worse. Way worse.

What is the most environmentally friendly transportation?

Ugh, bikes are so much better. 33 grams! That’s crazy low. Why don’t more people bike? Seriously, think of the air quality. My lungs would be so happy. My apartment building’s near impossible to park in, anyway.

Electric scooters are even better! Eight grams, wow. Perfect for zipping around the city. But… range anxiety is a real thing, right? My friend Sarah’s always bitching about hers dying mid-trip. So annoying.

Trains. 88 grams. Not bad! I love the train. Quiet, comfortable, sometimes even scenic. Especially the views on the Metro-North heading upstate. Though, late-night trains… not always the safest, you know?

Buses. A hundred grams. Public transport is cool, in theory. But the schedules? I hate the schedules. And sometimes they’re just packed. Stuffiness overload.

Horses? 135 grams. Whoa, didn’t expect that. Who’s actually using horses for transport in 2024? Sounds impractical af. Unless you live on a farm. Then, maybe…

Electric cars. 161 grams. Better than gas guzzlers, obviously. But still. Way more emissions than bikes or scooters. My neighbor, Tom, bought a Tesla. Showoff.

• E-bikes/Electric Scooters: BEST for minimal carbon footprint (8g/mile)
• Trains are solid, surprisingly good considering.
• Bikes are great, if you live in a bikeable city.
• Buses are okay. Overcrowded sometimes.
• Electric cars are alright. An improvement, but not the best.
• Horses? Seriously? Who uses that in 2024? I feel like it’s a joke.

Need to start biking more. I’m always so tired. Maybe it’s my diet. Or my desk job. Maybe both. Ugh, need coffee.

Which is worse for the environment, ships or planes?

Ugh, I remember that ferry trip to Santander in Spain, summer 2023. Place was packed. Seasick, the whole nine yards. Suddenly thought, are ships worse than planes?

Honestly, never really cared much before.

Planes spew stuff high up. That has to be terrible, right? Makes sense. Intensified emissions due to altitude. So higher global warming potential.

But…the ship was leaving this nasty black trail.

Then I read somewhere that ships pollute oceans directly. The CO2 goes straight into the water.

Seawater absorbs it. That must be awful!

• Ocean acidification is a real thing.
• Marine life suffers. No kidding.
• Bleaching of coral reefs. I saw that myself in the Maldives.

It’s probably a tie, both are pretty bad. Wish I’d taken the train lol. Next time though, for sure.

Are cruises worse for the environment than planes?

Planes vs. Cruises: A Green Showdown

Cruises? Environmental nightmares. Think of them as floating cities guzzling fossil fuels like toddlers guzzling juice boxes. The sheer size—imagine a small town constantly belching smog—is a major factor. Air pollution? Greenhouse gases? Check and check.

Planes? Better, but not saints. They’ve improved, yes, with greener fuels and tech. But let’s be real, a jumbo jet isn’t exactly a hummingbird sipping nectar. Still, they’re comparatively less horrific.

Here’s the lowdown:

• Cruises: Massive carbon footprint, significant air pollution, water pollution (waste disposal, etc). My cousin, a marine biologist, told me horror stories.
• Planes: Less pollution per passenger, relatively speaking. Improvements in fuel efficiency are ongoing, though not nearly enough. Think of it this way: a single cruise ship could easily match the emissions of, say, 100 smaller planes.

The Verdict: Cruises currently win the “environmental villain” award by a landslide. It’s not even close. But, hey, at least I get amazing sunsets from my balcony on my once-a-decade cruise vacation. Don’t judge.

Further Musings (because I’m feeling verbose):

• 2024 data suggests a slight uptick in cruise ship emissions, while plane emissions, thanks to some regulations, are showing a marginal decrease. Progress, however glacial.
• Sustainable aviation fuel adoption is still painfully slow, whereas the cruise industry hasn’t shown sufficient commitment to environmentally friendly alternatives. I mean, seriously.
• Think of the sheer volume: thousands on a ship versus hundreds on a plane. It all adds up. Math is a cruel mistress.

Are ships better for the environment than planes?

Okay, ships vs. planes for the environment… Hmm. Ships, right? Like, cargo ships?

• Ships better, yeah. Carbon footprint thing. Way less than planes. But how much less?

That ton-mile thing. Is that even a real unit? I should google that… Maybe later.

• Planes are awful. 47 times worse, or something, per ton-mile. Crazy.

Is that really accurate? Where’d I see that number? My aunt Carol mentioned something similar about shipping containers last Thanksgiving.

• Ships are slow. But green. Planes are fast. But… ugh.

So, trade-offs. Everything’s a trade-off. Is it worth the wait if I’m shipping something to my friend Tony in Denmark?

• Thinking about Tony… He’d say ships. He’s all about sustainability.

And those cruise ships? They’re huge. Are they included in these carbon footprint stats? Probably skew the numbers.

• Need more research? Naw. Ships win, for sure.

Are cruises good for the environment?

Cruises? Eco-friendly? Honey, please. That’s like saying a hippo is a graceful ballerina.

Forget it. These floating cities spew more pollution than a dragon’s sneeze after a chili-cheese-frito-pie binge. We’re talking:

• 700-1000 pounds of carbon emissions PER DAY! That’s more CO2 than my Uncle Barry’s pickup truck after a cross-country road trip, and he loves that truck.
• Sulphur dioxide? Enough from one ship to match 13.1 MILLION cars! Seriously, it’s a toxic cloud party. My lungs are already protesting.

Think of it: a giant, floating, party-boat-sized air-polluter. Yeah, that’s a cruise for ya. Makes your average SUV look like a tiny, environmentally conscious hamster. It’s nuts. Absolutely nuts. My goldfish has a smaller carbon footprint.

Do cruise ships pollute more than cars?

Cruise ships polluting more than cars, huh? Wow, that’s messed up. 218 cruise ships in Europe emitted way more sulphur oxides (SOX) than 1 billion cars in 2022. Like, 4.4 times more! That’s from Transport & Environment, a 2023 study. Imagine that many cars.

Think about the sheer size of those ships. Cities most affected… which ones were they? Does my aunt still live near one? I think she went on a cruise last year, maybe to Alaska, or was it the Caribbean?

• Sulphur oxides (SOX) are bad for the environment.
• Cruise ships use heavy fuel oil, really dirty stuff.
• More SOX than 1 billion cars. Crazy!
• Who regulates this stuff anyway?

The study must have detailed which cities got hit hardest by the SOX emissions. I wonder if Venice was on the list? Saw a doc on how cruise ships are destroying Venice. Seriously awful.

Are there any ethical cruise ships?

It’s late. The guilt sits heavy. Cruises aren’t ethical. Not really.

LNG is better, I guess. Carnival, Costa… they boast about it. But it’s still fossil fuels. Still pollution. My sister went on a Costa ship last year, loved it, said it was clean. Lie.

The ocean’s suffering. I see the pictures. Plastic everywhere. Overfishing. Those massive ships… they’re monsters. My cousin works for Royal Caribbean. He says it’s a mess. Exhaust, waste, the whole shebang.

The marketing is slick, I’ll give them that. “Sustainable tourism”. Yeah, right. It’s a greenwashing nightmare.

I saw a documentary. Devastating. Coral reefs dying. Displaced marine life. It’s heartbreaking. And for what? A week of mindless luxury?

There are no ethical cruises. Period. Don’t go. Save the planet. Seriously. My friend just cancelled her trip. Good for her.

• LNG ships are a small improvement, but still far from truly green.
• Cruise lines aggressively market “sustainability,” misleading consumers.
• The environmental damage caused by cruises is substantial and widespread.
• The industry’s practices are unethical and unsustainable.
• Consider alternative vacations that minimize your environmental impact.