http://www.oceana.org/index.php?id=91
The Problem
Flush! Goes the waste, all into the ocean everyday. Millions of animals die each and every year, suffocating and suffering from dirty waste invading their home. What is worse, after the cruise ships commit the crime, they will not admit it publicly, and when they are punished, it is far too late.
About 77% of all ship waste comes from cruise ships. An average-sized cruise ship, housing three thousand passengers and crew, generates 7 tons of garbage and solid waste everyday. This includes bottles, cans, plastic, cardboard and food wastes. 75-80% of the waste is burned at the sea, and then the ash is dumped into the ocean. In one year, 15 billion pounds of trash is dumped worldwide.
http://www.ship-technology.com/contractors/bearings/thordon/thordon4.html
Each day there are 15 gallons of toxic waste produced by the cruise ships. This contains silver, mercury, lead and cadmium through dry cleaning, photo processing, print shops, painting activities and other sources.
There are also 30,000 gallons of human waste, like wastewater from toilets.
17,000 gallons of oily bilge waste are being disposed each day, which can cause toxic effects.
255,000 gallons of gray water are being dumped each day. These are from laundries, showers, sinks, and dishwashing, which have detergents, cleaners, oil and grease, metals, pesticides and other forms of toxic substances.
www.grogono.com
The animals get affected. Turtles eat plastic bags mistaking them for jellyfish, other marine life become killed in six-pack holders, nets and debris. Our marine life is in grave danger.
Would you like strolling on a beach that is contaminated with greasy water, and waste all over? Tourism and ocean tours will also be affected, since so much waste is spreading out across the ocean. Coastal waters and beaches are polluted.
Cruise ships take seawater at one port and dump it at the destination. The release of ballast water amounts to 1,000 metric tons! Along with the seawater, there is plankton, fish, etc. included. This means that the animals are dumped into an unfamiliar place, and taken away from home. The ballast water may also spread diseases and parasites.
http://www.ship-technology.com/projects/princess/princess1.html
This webpage was created by Angie Kwan