The race is on to decarbonize the 50,000-plus ships that carry our stuff around the world
Much of our current lifestyle is based on cheap and fast transport of wares over the oceans. This requires ships and reliability that renewables cannot possibly hope to attain. One of the big drawbacks of wind-powered vessels all throughout history was that it was impossible to predict travel times and voyages lasted a hell of a lot longer than today. I am not talking 2 or 3 days more on top of a 10-day journey – I am talking about double or triple the time. Just imagine the cost shipping would put on top of our wares. This would make the additional tariffs proposed by Trump look like a kiddies party. How long until people revolt?
Earlier this month, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a U.N. agency in charge of shipping, agreed to cut total greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 50 percent by 2050, and to pursue “efforts towards phasing them out entirely.”
