(14 Feb 2020) LEAD IN: The Miami Yacht show is underway, exhibiting some of the industry's most luxurious vessels.
But as awareness of ocean pollution rises, there is an increasing focus on making these yachts more eco-friendly.
STORY-LINE:
Superyachts: the ultimate symbol of excess.
At the Miami Yacht Show, 400 of the vessels are on display.
The preserve of the ultra wealthy, they are associated with polluting diesel engines, rampant consumption and a jet-set lifestyle that's not exactly environmentally friendly.
But being out at sea gives their crews and guests an up-close view of the damage being done to the oceans - and there's an increasing push in the industry to adapt.
Glen Allen is Fleet Captain at Fleet Miami and has built his whole career in yachting.
He says it's time to do things differently.
"Through the course of 30 some odd years I've been running large yachts, I've seen a difference in the oceans. I've seen what we are doing to the oceans through plastics and emissions and all sorts of different pollutants into the ocean and into the air," he says.
"So having made my living, my entire life at sea, I feel that now is the time for me to try to do everything I can to help change all of that. And even if I change it just a little bit or help just a little bit, I feel that I will have been successful."
Yacht builders are continually increasing the efficiency of the massive marine machines.
Some are now powered by solar energy panels or battery packs.
And many new yachts are fitted with hybrid diesel engines which also reduce their carbon footprint.
At the Miami Yacht Show, organisers are trying to run the event in a more sustainable way.
"We've got everything we're using on our cocktail barges is recyclable. So there's not plastic cups and plastic straws. None of that," says Andrew Doole, President of US Boat Shows for Informa, which runs the event.
"So we're trying to lead the way a little bit there because events are going to have to do that."
The yachting industry itself is a huge economic engine, with wealthy owners often choosing to invest in more expensive products that can reduce their carbon footprint.
Mark Bond is a postdoctoral scientist at Florida International University, and leads FIU's initiative to combat plastic pollution in the world's oceans.
He says crews and owners are now a "catalyst" for making the yachting industry more eco-friendly.
He says they raise issues like: "can we invest more in plastic bottles that we can reuse as opposed to single use water bottles? Are we going to use water bottles that are made of plastic or cellulose that is biodegradable and breaks down in the marine environment over time?"
"So you've got multiple angles of the yachting industry that are all trying their best to make a difference. And it's been phenomenal progress in the last decade," he adds.
The Miami Yacht Show can be experienced at its new home just north of downtown Miami 13-17 February 2020.
Find out more about AP Archive:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Google+:
Tumblr:
Instagram:
You can license this story through AP Archive:
0 Comments