Okay, Reg, so what are you up to now?
We are going to have to work with the sea to take carbon emissions to zero
Image above: BAR Technologies WindWing system. Photo courtesy of BAR Technologies. Web: https://www.bartechnologies.uk/?s=WindWing
I think it started a long time ago when my beard was black instead of gray. I was a 20-something newspaper reporter leaning up against the rear bulkhead of the bridge of a general purpose coastal tanker delivering refined petroleum products to customers in a tight little harbor that wasn’t terribly forgiving of mistakes in navigation. I thought I had made myself almost invisible in the shadows. It was some time after midnight and at least two hours before local sunrise.
The tide was almost slack and there didn’t seem to be a lot of wind but visibility wasn’t great and we were enveloped in darkness so intense that it seemed to swallow up light when it got more than a few hundred yards from the ship.
The captain watched intently as the harbor pilot gave instructions to the helmsman on the bridge and three tugboats and one line boat maneuvering the tanker toward the next delivery point. When that delivery was completed and things calmed down, the captain turned to me and said in a magnificent Greek accent; “You, reporter boy. You look sleepy. Drink some of this Greek coffee. You no sleep for three day.” The captain was alert to EVERYTHING going on, including the sleepy reporter in the shadows behind him.
We didn’t hit anything or spill anything that night. It was a good night.
On land I had heard passionate arguments about whether a proposed construction project would be a hazard to navigation. That was why I was on the ship. I thought that might help me clarify how I should think about the arguments being offered about this project. It did point me in the right direction. Focus on “what works.”
I didn’t hear any philosophy on the ship that night. I heard people who knew what they were doing working very hard to do their jobs correctly. Our little tanker didn’t do any harm to the Earth that night. Thank you.
I have noticed that a lot of the wind, solar, tidal and wave energy technology being put to work to bring the Earth to zero carbon emissions is making use of the world’s oceans. Most of the world’s population is clustered along coastlines. So, using the oceans to make the energy they need makes all the sense in the world. Of course, maritime technology can also do a lot to conserve energy and minimize the emissions of greenhouse gasses. That is the reason for my specific interest in maritime innovation.
And that’s why I am creating “Maritime Sustainability News.” I want to talk about innovations that have a chance of working in the real world to bring the Earth to sustainability. And if these innovations are already being implemented, and proving their value, so much the better.
— Reg Crowder, Editor-in-Chief, Maritime Sustainability News, Earth