https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpv3dk4ydr3o
"A ban on the dirtiest and most climate-damaging fuel for ships has come into
effect in Arctic waters.
Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) is a tar-like, thick but relatively cheap oil that is
widely used in shipping around the world, especially tankers.
However, HFO is particularly damaging in the Arctic, where the black carbon it
emits when burned speeds up the melting of snow and ice.
Campaigners say the ban, while welcome, will make little immediate impact as a
series of loopholes will allow the vast majority of ships to use the fuel until
2029.
Produced from the waste left over in oil refining, HFO poses a huge threat to
the oceans in general but to the Arctic in particular.
This sludge-like fuel is almost impossible to clean up if a spill occurs.
In colder waters, experts say, the fuel does not break down but sinks in lumps
that linger in sediments, threatening fragile ecosystems.
In climate terms, this oil is seen as particularly dangerous, not just
producing large amounts of planet-warming gas when burned, but also spewing out
sooty particles called black carbon.
“The black carbon is creating the sort of double whammy impact in the Arctic,”
said Dr Sian Prior, from the Clean Arctic Alliance group of campaigners.
“It's attracting heat while it's in the atmosphere, and then it settles onto
the snow and ice and is speeding up the melting as well.”
The oil was banned from use or transport in the Antarctic in 2011.
Environmentalists have been pushing to expand that restriction to northern
waters for years, finally persuading the countries that participate in the
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to enact a ban back in 2021.
The restriction now comes into force in Arctic waters – and while campaigners
agree this is progress, they believe there are far too many loopholes that will
limit the impact.
According to the regulations, ships that have a “protected fuel tank” will be
exempt from the ban.
Countries that border the Arctic will also be able to exempt their own ships
from the ban in their own territorial waters.
One of the major players in the region is Russia, which has over 800 ships
operating in northern waters. They are not implementing the new IMO regulation.
These waiver exemptions will last until 2029 – their impact is likely to be
significant, with the International Council on Clean Transportation estimating
that about 74% of ships that use HFO will be able to continue to do so."
Via
Fix the News:
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https://fixthenews.com/good-news-capital-punishment-mental-health-rwanda-pollution-europe/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
