Greenpeace, known for having vessels that harry illegal timber haulers, obstruct nuclear tests in the Pacific, and conduct research in the Arctic, has announced plans for another ship.
This one will make Captain Planet proud, as it's intended to "confront looters and polluters on the high seas" while being "as close to fossil fuel-free as possible," according to the nonprofit. To pull it off, the vessel will leverage massive amounts of wind and solar power.
The ship is contracted to be built at the Freire Shipyard in Spain. Now, the nonprofit is raising money to complete the vessel, which will join Witness, Rainbow Warrior, and Arctic Sunrise in the fleet. The organization recently boasted about how environmentally friendly the Rainbow Warrior is, but the new ship will go even further.
"This new vessel will be more than a campaign tool — it has been designed to pioneer sustainable technology, showing in practice that long distance voyages at sea can be accomplished using different sources of renewable energy," deputy international program director Fabien Rondal wrote in a press release.
The 246-foot vessel is intended to be a shining star of sustainable sea power as the maritime industry works to cut air pollution. The sector produces about 3% of global carbon dioxide pollution, per the European Commission.
Airbus and other companies are rolling out designs on new types of sails to again leverage wind at sea in an effort to lower that statistic.
The Greenpeace ship will sport more than 21,500 square feet of sails, as well as solar panels and battery packs. It is designed to be nearly free of dirty energy sources, hitting that benchmark when it's "technically and logistically" possible, per Rondal.
"It will serve as both a source of inspiration and a challenge to an industry which is still far too reliant on fossil fuels," the Greenpeace official wrote.
The ship is planned to leave the dock by 2027. From there, it will go to remote places as a planet watchdog.
"We will showcase the hidden beauty of a world worth fighting for and shine an unflinching light on those who put greed and profit before people and planet," according to Rondal.
There is plenty of pollution in the ocean to assess, including bewildering amounts of plastic. The seas are also becoming warmer, along with our overheating world.
Scientists are still studying the reasons why there's a troubling slowdown of the Gulf Stream as yet another ocean anomaly that some experts fear could trigger, ironically, an ice age.
The good news is that everyone can play a role in limiting waste and planet-warming air pollution. By simply using sturdier, reusable cloth grocery bags, you can prevent troublesome plastic ones from becoming trash. Plus, you won't have to worry about thin plastic busting open as you carry your groceries. Also, switching to LED lights can reduce pollution fivefold over traditional bulbs and save you hundreds of dollars in energy costs a year.
For its part, Greenpeace intends to make waves while patrolling the seas for polluters.
"That's why we are building this new ship — it will be a call to go farther, and to do more, than ever before," Rondal wrote.
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