Ship imports from these 15 U.S. retailers pollute up to 3 coal-fired power plants per year
In today’s Electek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):
- Walmart’s shipping caused more pollution in 2019 than a coal-fired power plant emits each year.
- A solar company is suing the Home Office for approval of an offshore wind farm.
- UnderstandingSolar is a free service that connects you with the top rated solar installers in your area for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to research the best quotes. Click here to find out more and get your quotes. – * a d.
The 15 major marine polluters
Due to the use of fossil fuel ships to import their goods into the United States, only 15 retailers emitted as much marine pollution as the equivalent of 1.5 million American homes, according to a study released today by the environmental organizations Pacific Environment and Stand.earth.
Shady ships: Retail giants pollute communities and the climate with fossil-fueled shipping is the first study to quantify the environmental and public health impacts of the dependence of some of America’s largest retailers on overseas manufacturing and fossil-fueled transoceanic transportation.
By crossing a complete set of cargo manifests – that is, consolidated lists of all cargoes aboard a freighter – with a set of emissions data from each ship, the researchers were able to estimate the pollution. associated with each unit of cargo on separate sea routes and, for the first time, attribute these emissions to retail companies.
More than 50,000 merchant ships currently carry around 80% of world trade each year, and ocean freight volumes are expected to increase by up to 130% by 2050. All merchant ships currently in service are fossil-fueled.
The top 15 polluters ranked, # 1 being the worst, are:
- Walmart
- Ashley Furniture
- Target
- Alms
- Home deposit
- Chiquita
- Ikea
- Amazon
- Samsung
- Nike
- LG
- Red Bull
- Family dollar
- Williams-Sonoma
- Lowes
For example, the report states that “Target 3 maritime transport produced more CO2 than the total CO2 production of the 20 smallest countries in the world most vulnerable to climate change”.
Electek’s point of view: It is not enough to set a net zero goal for your own business, as many of the companies above have done. Emissions from the supply chain – and in particular emissions from shipping – also need to be recognized and addressed. Maritime transport emits more than a billion tonnes of CO2 per year, and it continues to grow.
Read more:
Solar vs wind
Well, that’s an interesting twist in the clean energy business. Solar company Allco Renewable Energy is suing the US Department of the Interior over the Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm off Massachusetts. Allco alleges that Vineyard Wind threatens the fishing industry and the fish. The lawsuit was filed in federal court on Sunday. The trial specifies:
This case challenges the approval of the Vineyard wind project proposed by the defendants. He asks the Court to quash these approvals for violating the National Environmental Policy Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, section 404 of the Clean Water Act and section 101 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as well as the rules and regulations of the defendants, and ensure that the federal review of the proposed project complies with the law.
Allco also specifically argues that no offshore wind farm can survive a Category 3 or higher Atlantic hurricane, so the company says it could put endangered sea turtles and right whales at risk ( and therefore the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act).
Electek’s point of view: To state the obvious, Allco is a competitor to Vineyard Wind in the clean energy sector. Hmmm. There is certainly no ulterior motive here. And you know what will threaten marine life and the fishing industry even more than this offshore wind farm? Global warming. In fact, offshore wind farms can benefit marine life, if planned thoughtfully. We need offshore and onshore wind and solar. Give us a break, Allco.
Read more: Governor of Maine permanently bans offshore wind in state waters
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