Why We Care

TODAY’S WORLD........we need to change things

Did You know?

“Sustainable development” the catchword of today’s responsible leaders, was defined by the UN Commission on Environment and Development in 1987, as ‘development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’

The World Summit on Sustainable Development, hosted 26th August 2002 in Johannesburg has confirmed that environmental issues have become a permanent part of our local and international social, political and business agenda.

The aim of environmental policies must be a transformation of the way mankind interacts with his environment. This can only become a reality when we all understand that we have to work in harmony with nature to achieve sustainable results and that this will only happen with the promotion of ‘responsible and ethical social and business behavior’

For the cruise industry nothing could be more sure- the natural environment, the oceans, are the basis of its commercial world and it must secure the long term sustainability of the world’s oceans if it is to survive.

Let us prove to you that ..
“Being green is not only environmentally correct but good business management”, particularly as Consumers are showing willingness to switch brands in response to perceived differences in social responsibility.

Despite the inevitability of such pressures the way forward is not all doom and gloom. The Cruise Industry has been a motivating force on its own, in the search for sustainable environmental solutions, in truth it has also become the conscience of the land based industry. We hope to learn together that the true picture of the challenges facing the Cruise industry, mostly not of our making and to define, viable sustainable cost efficient solutions.

Why save the sea?

Healthy oceans are our future.... quite simply because from the oceans bounty of small floating plants our atmosphere is enriched with oxygen and depleted of CO2 …without healthy oceans there would be no earth and certainly no life on the earth as we know it...

Our Oceans are at risk....

Today’s world –6.2 billion humans-new data reveals that humans have touched 40% of the earths terrestrial surface- no place remains unchanged.

The oceans cover 93% of the world’s surface and contain 96.5% of the world’s water -fresh water consists of 2.5% but our oceans are the least understood ecosystem in the world and the one at most risk.

• 60% of the coral reefs (vital sources of biodiversity and marine productivity) are threatened by human activity
• 1/4th are already degraded beyond recovery.
• There are five known black spots around the world where there is no plant life

Alien invasion

• The Earth is quickly being taken over by alien species
• For example ½ the land area of Hawaii is now dominated by alien species.
• Such invaders cost the USA $140 billion pa in losses to agriculture, forestry, etc. Global trade means that 3000 species hitch a ride every day in ballast water egg Zebra mussel has the potential to catastrophically alter the ecosystems they invade.
• Alien invasion 2nd largest threat to sea life

Fish

• 70% of the fish stock is depleted from the oceans

Truth

• How much of this is attributable to the cruise industry -very little
  National Geographic September 2002, attributed 10% of all marine pollution to the marine industry
• How much of this holds devastating implications for the cruise industry and our world - all of it.

Chemical impact

• Chemical toxicity is a major issue today with chemicals which do not biodegrade fully being absorbed into the fatty tissue of fish and animals and thereby entering our food chain and ultimately our fatty tissue.
• The long term effects can only be imagined.

Zoologist- Theo Coburn-called attention to synthetic chemicals –called hormone disrupters which interfere in the development of the gender of animals

Can you afford to wait…..?