Green Marine Welcomes New Participants, New Successes
Green Marine, a joint Canada-U.S. initiative aimed at implementing a marine industry environmental program throughout North America, welcomes new participants:
1. The Port of New Orleans is a deep-draft multi-purpose port at the centre of the world’s busiest port system — Louisiana’s Lower Mississippi River. Connected to major U.S. inland markets and Canada via 14,500 miles (22,335 kilometres) of waterways, six Class I railroads and the Interstate Highway System, the port is the ideal gateway for steel, project cargo, containers, coffee, natural rubber, chemicals, agricultural products, manufactured goods, passenger cruises and more.
2. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, GCT Global Container Terminals
Inc. operates four container terminals via three principal businesses in North America: GCT Canada in Vancouver and Delta, B.C.; GCT New York on Staten Island, NY); and, GCT Bayonne in Bayonne, New Jersey. A North American leader of terminal operations and Canada’s largest terminal operator, GCT is entering its four terminals into Green Marine’s environmental certification program.
3. Marine Atlantic operates terminals in the Newfoundland ports of Port aux Basques (PaB) and Argentia, and the Nova Scotia port of North Sydney (NSY). Headquartered in St. John’s, Nfld., the corporation provides a year-round 96-nautical-mile daily ferry service between PaB and NSY, and a seasonal 280-nm tri-weekly ferry service between Argentia and NYS (from mid-June to late September). Marine Atlantic is entering its ships and terminals into the Green Marine environmental program.
4. The Seattle Aquarium has become a Green Marine supporter. The aquarium is the ninth largest aquarium in the U.S. by attendance and among the top five paid visitor attractions in the Puget Sound region. The aquarium engages its mission of “inspiring conservation of our marine environment” in part through a commitment to operational sustainability. Recent accomplishments include the largest solar array on any West Coast aquarium and a 20 percent reduction in its carbon footprint when it completes eight energy-saving upgrades by early 2015.
In other news, founding Green Marine member and participant Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) has ‘adopted’ a beluga whale to support long-term research towards solving problems affecting this endangered species. The Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) has renewed the adoption program initiated in 1988 by putting belugas – or rather their individual photos and stories – up for adoption. CSL is among the supporters that have pledged to be a whale’s benefactor for at least three years – the length of time a young beluga needs to be with his or her mother.
“CSL has been active on the St. Lawrence River for over 100 years and is committed to maintaining the health of this incredible national treasure,” says Kirk Jones, CSL’s vice president, sustainability, government and industry affairs. The adoption coincides with CSL’s new $100,000 commitment to WWF-Canada over the next two years towards research that strives to help the threatened species. The long-term partnership established in 2006 between CSL and WWF-Canada is already yielding results, notably in the right whale population.
“About 60 whales were born between 2010 and 2011,” says David Miller, WWF-Canada’s president and CEO. “We are pleased to see CSL stand out as a leader in the shipping industry when it comes to the protection of this endangered species.”
Several Green Marine supporters have also adopted belugas, including the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, the Vancouver Aquarium, as well as the City of Montreal and Quebec City.
The Port of Valleyfield now has plug-in power for the Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping (NEAS) fleet. The new infrastructure enables the vessels to connect to a local electricity circuit rather than operate their diesel engines while in port.
The electrical facility can simultaneously power two ships. NEAS vessels typically stop over for about a week and need power to generate hot water, heating and lighting and to operate or maintain temperature-controlled containers, ballast pumps, boilers and mooring winches. NEAS is now able to connect its four ships during each of five stopovers between July and October to load goods for shipment to Northern Quebec and other Canadian Arctic regions. Each vessel is connected to the electrical grid for approximately eight hours daily, primarily when the vessel has suspended the day’s loading operations.
The plug-in infrastructure is part of the ongoing efforts by the Port of Valleyfield to limit the environmental impact of port activities by reducing fuel-causing pollutants and, thereby, reducing greenhouse gases and improving air quality.