Environmental Concerns/Guilt

[ukbecky]

On each ship are a couple thousand (or so) people not driving their cars and closing up their homes for that time they're onboard. That has to offset at least a little....

 

That said- if you can't just have fun on (any) vacation, you're doing it wrong.

[irishnyc]

Not even a smidge. My carbon footprint is minuscule compared to the average American, and that's just the nature of my lifestyle, not a conscious effort to be green.

 

Do you feel guilty about the amount of electricity you used to get online and post this question?

Edited December 5, 2014 by irishnyc

[DaveRRT]

Turn off your computer, you are wasting power and destroying the planet:rolleyes:

[Baymax]

Turn off your computer, you are wasting power and destroying the planet:rolleyes:

 

I'm a Charter Member of the Anti-Green Movement.

[Podna's]

Absolutely no guilt here.

[cb at sea]

Surely, you jest. Feel guilt about what?

 

I love my earth, and love what it gives us....and I enjoy USING what Mother Earth has provided to us. We have fuel, and oxygen, and in return, we give CO2 for the plants to use...it's a win/win for everyone.

 

No guilt here.

 

 

You mention "overeating"...as if someone is making more food than needed, just for the gluttons....that's not the case. Eat or not...the groceries have already been picked or butchered or collected...whatever. It's there. Eat or not. Your choice.

Edited December 6, 2014 by cb at sea

[BruceMuzz]

Does anyone ever feel guilty for cruising (or travel in general) due to the negative impact in the environment? How do you justify your actions? I love cruising and appreciate the efforts companies have made to make the activity more Eco-friendly. However inherently, it is wasteful to overeat, travel by boat, plane and car, enjoy luxuries and other things implicit to travel and cruise travel.

 

I've personally resigned myself to just feeling guilty but doing it anyways like I have with meat consumption. Maybe someone else can give me another perspective.

 

According to the EPA:

China has 19% of the world's population and produces 27% of the world's pollution.

USA has 4% of the world's population and produces 17% of the world's pollution.

 

No other country is even close to those levels of pollution.

 

Those of us who live in China and USA should be more concerned about staying at home than going on a cruise.

[madera cruiser]

According to the EPA:

China has 19% of the world's population and produces 27% of the world's pollution.

USA has 4% of the world's population and produces 17% of the world's pollution.

 

No other country is even close to those levels of pollution.

 

Those of us who live in China and USA should be more concerned about staying at home than going on a cruise.

 

Bite Me

[Raxter54]

No guilt at all. If there were a real environmental crisis, then why are these enviro-****s flying their private jets to Fiji for their latest gab-fest. Once they start *acting* like there is a real environmental crisis by lowering their own carbon-footprint, then I might take them seriously.

[navybankerteacher]

Thank you for your service to our economy. Does that service mean that in your mind as long as you can afford something it is ethical to do it?

 

Also, I think they have come a long way but cruising is inherently bad for the environment like most pleasures.

 

Every development in human history can be shown as being harmful to the environment. Anyone who uses electricity, or paper, or uses hot water, or wears clothes contributes to the destruction of the environment.

 

If you choose to vote with your feet - and stay off cruise ships in the future, I hope it is your bare feet so no animals will have given their skins to provide you with shoes - or no farm land has been sullied to produce fiber , or - worse still - no evil petroleum has been converted to synthetics for your comfort.

[kitty9]

With all due respect, this is a rather silly question. If cruising or personal travel didn't exist or was outlawed, stevefrisco, what do you think would happen to countries who's economies rely on travel and tourism? Think about it----millions unemployed, the poor becoming even more so, living standards collapsing in many countries, crime increasing in those countries, children starving, not to mention the associated fallout from a government who cannot take care of its people because their major source of income has vanished. Is it worth all that just to lessen, by a tiny amount, a carbon footprint? Hardly !!!!!!

 

And by the way, what does overeating have to do with cruise travel? People don't have to be on a cruise ship to overeat.

[BlueRiband]

No guilt about cruising, eating meat, wearing fur, burning incandescent bulbs or candles. Love my fireplace too.

 

So called "climate change" is but a hoax propagated by the Church of Global Warming to impose their minimalist life theology on the rest of us.

 

Environmental zealots know they cannot ban cruise ships straight out. So they will do it in increments by ratcheting up compliance and make it increasingly expensive to operate. Why do fewer ships call in California? The requirement to burn expensive ultra-low sulfur fuel.

[BeagleOne]

Also, I think they have come a long way but cruising is inherently bad for the environment like most pleasures.

 

Probably the worst thing someone can do to the environment is reproduce, thereby adding more humans to the planet and using up more of its resources.

 

I don't feel the least bit guilty. I have no children and live quite frugally in a small house. When I was 12 I did a TA with my family on the QE2 and was appalled to see the crew throwing bags of trash over the side. I wrote a letter (remember those?) to Cunard to complain. Then cruise lines stopped throwing trash over the side.

 

You're welcome. :D

[LA_CA_GAL]

Thank you for your service to our economy. Does that service mean that in your mind as long as you can afford something it is ethical to do it?

 

 

Without question.

[LA_CA_GAL]

 

I've personally resigned myself to just feeling guilty but doing it anyways like I have with meat consumption. Maybe someone else can give me another perspective.

 

Seek professional help.

[navybankerteacher]

Seek professional help.

 

Best advice I've seen on Cruise Critic in many months.

[myra711]

I would LOVE to swim with the dolphins, but I've read too many reports of the dolphins being depressed and even suicidal (drift to the bottom of the tank and don't come up for air) to participate in a dolphin encounter. If they are in the wild and want to swim with me, that would be great.

[navybankerteacher]

I think San Francisco has skewed your thinking. :p

 

I think you have identified the root cause of his syndrome. A friend of mine who relocated East from Berkeley explained his despair at having his vote negated by all the BAJA's (Bay Area Jack Asses).

[tip]

I guess that I am in a minority here, because I do have a social conscience. Judging from the comments of many of the previous posters , they are no doubt followers of Faux News.

[sail7seas]

I guess that I am in a minority here, because I do have a social conscience. Judging from the comments of many of the previous posters , they are no doubt followers of Faux News.

 

Do you still cruise?

I'm not being a smart mouth but am interested.

I think many (perhaps most?) of us have varying levels of social conscience. It isn't black and white. Some will refuse to cruise because of perceived damage to the environment while others make effort to lessen their carbon footprint in other ways. Perhaps they put solar panels on their roof, won't use plastic bags, recycle, etc but they continue to cruise.

 

Edited December 6, 2014 by sail7seas

[lisiamc]

I guess that I am in a minority here, because I do have a social conscience. Judging from the comments of many of the previous posters , they are no doubt followers of Faux News.

 

I guess you don't cruise any more, or travel, except on foot, or have any children, or use electricity... Perhaps you're posting from the computer at the public library?

 

Everyone has to draw their line somewhere. I try to be green where I can, but I still travel and cruise, and doing so doesn't make me a member of any other group or define my political beliefs.

[tip]

Do you still cruise?

I'm not being a smart mouth but am interested.

I think many (perhaps most?) of us have varying levels of social conscience. It isn't black and white. Some will refuse to cruise because of perceived damage to the environment while others make effort to lessen their carbon footprint in other ways. Perhaps they put solar panels on their roof, won't use plastic bags, recycle, etc but they continue to cruise.

 

 

To answer your question, yes we still cruise.

 

And yes we do a great deal to lesson our carbon footprint. We recycle most everything at home and have less than one bag of "trash" per week. We always use reusable cloth bags and drive a car that gets very good mileage. We combine trips when possible, car pool often, and make a conscious effort to leave the car parked multiple days per week. We have a home with a great deal of insulation and keep the temp in the low 60's in the winter (we live in New England) and the high 70's in the summer. We do not buy or own a lot of "stuff." I love to read and frequent used books sales and swap shops often.

 

We do enjoy traveling as it gives us both a chance to relax as well as an opportunity to visit other countries and learn about other cultures. BUT we are concerned with both the impact on the environment and how other people are treated. We have children and grandchildren and we often worry about what shape this world will be in for them once we are gone. It is not all about just us. We feel that we have a social conscience.

 

Some of the comments of previous posters do get under my skin (comments on global warming, advising folks to seek professional help, BAJA's, anti-green movement, etc.). They are of course entitled to their opinions.

[SnowshoeCat]

Wow - so much for enlightened discussion. The OP simply asked a question.

 

To the OP: I do think about it, but I've come to realize that life is a balance. I'm very conscientious in some areas. I believe - or like to believe - that the regulations are more strict than in the past, and the good (employment, supply delivery) helps to balance things out.

 

I cringe when I see people at work come in with their plastic take-out bags, filled with plastic wrapped sandwiches, plastic forks and spoons, and it all ends up in the garbage 10 minutes later. And don't get me started on bottled water ;)

 

So from what little I know, I don't think cruising is too bad in the big picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So called "climate change" is but a hoax propagated by the Church of Global Warming to impose their minimalist life theology on the rest of us.

 

 

I don't believe anyone mentioned climate change. Pollution, though, is here and now. In the air, in the water, and in the plants and animals we eat from those sources.

[DirtyDawg]

As a Canadian I have a different perspective. Our country is a net energy exporter so the fuel used in all those cruise ships, airplanes and cars creates jobs and stimulates our economy. I'm not directly employed in the energy industry but that industry and it's employees create a lot of tax revenues for our various levels of governments which help provide needed services like Education, Social Services and Healthcare. So all the good cruisers out there have indirectly help pay for my cataract surgery, my knee surgery, my kids university educations and so on. So It's a BIG THANK YOU to all my fellow cruisers out there. Keep on Cruising!:D .... and driving and flying.......:)

 

As for the environmental aspect, economic growth in place like China, which is needed to improve incomes in the old 'third world' economies will cause way more environmental damage from fuel use than the entire cruise industry could save even if no ships ever sailed again.

Edited December 6, 2014 by DirtyDawg

[navybankerteacher]

To answer your question, yes we still cruise.

 

And yes we do a great deal to lesson our carbon footprint. We recycle most everything at home and have less than one bag of "trash" per week. We always use reusable cloth bags and drive a car that gets very good mileage. We combine trips when possible, car pool often, and make a conscious effort to leave the car parked multiple days per week. We have a home with a great deal of insulation and keep the temp in the low 60's in the winter (we live in New England) and the high 70's in the summer. We do not buy or own a lot of "stuff." I love to read and frequent used books sales and swap shops often.

 

We do enjoy traveling as it gives us both a chance to relax as well as an opportunity to visit other countries and learn about other cultures. BUT we are concerned with both the impact on the environment and how other people are treated. We have children and grandchildren and we often worry about what shape this world will be in for them once we are gone. It is not all about just us. We feel that we have a social conscience.

 

Some of the comments of previous posters do get under my skin (comments on global warming, advising folks to seek professional help, BAJA's, anti-green movement, etc.). They are of course entitled to their opinions.

 

You must be very proud of yourself - but I am not sure why you feel a description of your life-style is at all relevant to this thread. Sure, some of the responses to OP were somewhat harsh - but people have a right to not take fatuous questions all that seriously.

 

We all respect the environment - some more, some less - in our own ways. But it should be fairly obvious that people on a cruise web site are likely to be interested in cruising, and therefore have come to terms with the impact their activity has on the environment.