By Dale Flewellen – Guest Contributor.

“Carbon footprint CruiseIf the ship is full, every passenger with a return ticket consumes 2.9 tonnes. A tonne of shipping fuel contains 0.85 tonnes of carbon, which produces 3.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide when it is burnt. Every passenger is responsible for 9.1 tonnes of emissions”. Dec 20, 2006 The Guardian.

Seven seasons of cruise ship traffic in Akaroa harbour. Never in history has this harbour been subjected to such activity,such tumultuous disturbance.
It all started with 20-30 ships. Last season 93 ships.

A community survey showed Akaroa is able to tolerate some 30 ship visits.

So this year we again have 93 ships. 

Thanks Ecan/CCC for listening to the People….!!!!Every ship without exception churns up vast volumes of seabed sediment. The ship’s ‘thrusters’ are churning 12 hours a day, 6 months per year. This sediment is comprised of heavy metals and partially treated sewerage. This sediment chokes all Life…all kaimoana..they cannot feed,they cannot access oxygen. 

There is indisputable visible proof.Paua seed beds buried and gone. Mussels, Karengo,kelp ..gone.

As a result of community pressure an Environmental Impact Report was commissioned by Ecan through the Cawthron Institute (whose board of trustees include Nick Smith the lover of 1080, birds and cow shitting in rivers).

This was to have been made public at least two months ago. It was imperative it be released before this season’s commencement of destruction.

Akaroa and it’s environment simply cannot sustain this ongoing corporate bullying and destruction. ……Every ship is in breach of the RMA 12.

This is acknowledged by Ecan,.. But they will not take action. But then fines,regulations or taxes, will not ensure a corporation will do business differently. 

Furthermore the ships are anchored right next to the Marine Reserve..go figure.

Post note the editor Ben Vidgen

We at DEADLINE thought we like to draw you to the hypocrisy of lobbyist controlled polticians who call for a climate emergency as an exscuse for more tarrifs and taxes as the hypocritically chair on the ecocide that is the crusise ship market. One which threatens the ecology and the ability of ordinary kiwis to acess kai. And to ram the point home wether you believe in the version of climate change as preached by the born again this is their claim. So its a bit rich to say its imperative we combat the issues of carbon immediately and then proceed to build tourism around carbon producing dragons.

And as is the case in Kaikoura with the highway, the collapse of non state highy ways through neglect. And as is the case of an intensive corprate managed agriculture and dairy industry which pursue toxic solution to pests, as laws creep in on recreational fisherman and hunters, bit by bit by bit were herded into a high tech ecologically destructive smart prison relient – on once again resources with a finite supply. and a contaminated food supply.

Cull once moore than $400million for roads and other assets owned by the Dunedin City Council are under threat from predicted sea level rise, underscoring the need for government help, Mayor Dave Cull says. This is a mayor who helped spend half billion on stadiums and shopping mall for franchise corporate brands.

The figures for Dunedin were released as a major report by Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), the bitch of Institute New Zealand (aka the business roundrtable headed by Smart City builder Stephen Jennings). It outlined the expected costs from sea level rise for councils across the country.

In Napier they plan to met it by selling of a section of the publically owned port. Thus the Rogernomic style creation of debt and privatisastion begins pushed by fiscal barbarian at our gate.

LGNZ claims $5.1billion of council assets across the country – including roads, pipes, buildings and other facilities – were at risk from 1m of sea level rise by 2100. Ad yet despite this emergency its crusie ships all the way not just by Cull but the LGNZ backed mayors up and down the country who froth at the mouth at the thought of short term cruise ship tours dollars as the jepordise their own people’s food source and the ecologies bio-diversity.

You cant preach climate change and sustainbility as you take crusie ship dollars end of story.