Carnival’s pollution grabs headlines
Images and video footage captured in George Town Harbour last week of a Carnival cruise ship belching thick black smoke into the air have grabbed news headlines around the world and gone viral on social media. The cruise line, part of the consortium selected by government to build the proposed berthing facility here, continues to face legal challenges over a history of pollution and will be in court in the US on the day Cayman goes to the polls to vote on the project next month.
The various photos showing black smog gushing from the exhaust stacks, one of which was set against a rainbow, served as a reminder that, despite claims by its management about prioritising the environment, the company is not being a good corporate citizen.
Carnival told US media that the Carnival Freedom was releasing the toxic smoke because of a malfunctioning “engine turbocharger”. The cruise company told Fox News that it happened as the ship pulled into harbour but the malfunctioning engine was shut down and the smoke stopped. However, the plume of pollution was caught on camera.
Experts have said that Carnival, like other cruise lines, uses heavy fuel oil high in sulphur. These emissions are linked to thousands of premature deaths from lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary problems and childhood asthma cases annually.
Over the last three years Carnival has been fined more than $60 million and has pleaded guilty to various widespread pollution crimes relating to emissions, offloading waste and dumping oil and then trying to cover it up.
Meanwhile, a hearing in the US courts has been scheduled for 19 December, the day of Cayman’s referendum on the cruise project, to discuss the ongoing environmental and pollution case against Carnival Corporation and its compliance with court rulings.
Carnival told US media that the Carnival Freedom was releasing the toxic smoke because of a malfunctioning “engine turbocharger”. The cruise company told Fox News that it happened as the ship pulled into harbour but the malfunctioning engine was shut down and the smoke stopped. However, the plume of pollution was caught on camera.
Experts have said that Carnival, like other cruise lines, uses heavy fuel oil high in sulphur. These emissions are linked to thousands of premature deaths from lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary problems and childhood asthma cases annually.
Over the last three years Carnival has been fined more than $60 million and has pleaded guilty to various widespread pollution crimes relating to emissions, offloading waste and dumping oil and then trying to cover it up.
Meanwhile, a hearing in the US courts has been scheduled for 19 December, the day of Cayman’s referendum on the cruise project, to discuss the ongoing environmental and pollution case against Carnival Corporation and its compliance with court rulings.
