Go Green!
Princess Cruises Honored by Port of San Francisco for Environmental Efforts
Award Follows Other Environmental Honors Including Venice Blue Flag and Port of Los Angeles Vessel Speed Reduction Flag
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (May 24, 2010) – Three Princess Cruises ships -- Sapphire Princess, Sea Princess and Star Princess -- have just been named as gold-level winners of the Port of San Francisco 2009 Cruise Ship Environmental Award. The awards honor the ships’ “outstanding record in safeguarding the environment and protecting the air and water quality of San Francisco Bay during their port calls.” This is the fifth year Princess ships have earned this prestigious distinction.
The annual award recognizes the vessel for demonstrating “the strong environmental commitment of Princess Cruises in the areas of air emission reduction, waste water treatment, and recycling and disposal programs for solid waste.” The honors are determined by San Francisco’s Cruise Terminal Environmental Advisory Committee (CTEAC), which operates a program to recognize cruise lines that are committed to environmentally responsible operations, include the deployment of ships using reduced emission system technology or cleaner-burning fuel.
The San Francisco awards follow on the heels of other environmental honors earned from ports where Princess ships call, including the Venice Blue Flag, recognizing the line’s commitment to reducing polluting emissions by burning cleaner fuels, plus the Port of Los Angeles Vessel Speed Reduction Recognition Flag for actions to reduce air emissions.
- The Venice Blue Flag is awarded for the line’s efforts to safeguard the city of Venice, Italy, by burning low sulfur fuel in port to reduce air emissions. The flag recognizes ship companies who make a commitment to preserve this unique city and its historic monuments. This was the second year Princess has been honored with this flag. Four Princess ships - Royal Princess, Ruby Princess, Crown Princess and Grand Princess called in Venice in 2009.
- The Vessel Speed Reduction Flag recognizes Princess ships based at the Port of Los Angeles for following reduced speeds while entering and leaving the port as part of an effort to reduce air emissions. Princess was the only cruise line to earn this award, with all three home-ported vessels – Sapphire Princess, Golden Princess and Coral Princess – commended for 100 percent compliance in following the reduced speeds.
“We are gratified that our environmental efforts are being recognized in many different ways in places around the world,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “We make our living taking people to beautiful destinations. We’re committed to doing our part to make sure they stay that way.”
Princess Cruises is committed to environmental practices which set a high standard for excellence and responsibility, and which help preserve the marine environment in which its ships operate. The company’s environmental goals and policies go beyond what is required by law and include a zero solid waste discharge policy, state-of-the-art environmental technology and waste management equipment, programs to minimize waste generated, and recycling where possible. The company also pioneered the use of shore power programs in the cruise industry to reduce air emissions.
Go Green !
Denver Launches B-cycle Bike Sharing Program!
Published on: April 23, 2010
The city of Denver has launched the B-cycle Bike sharing program. About 500 new, red Trek bicycles are now available for sharing at 40 stations around the city. Each of the three-speed bikes comes with a wire basket, a built-in light and a lock. Denver visitors can purchase a $5, 24-hour membership with a credit card at any B-cycle station.
4/21/10 Celebrate Earth Day by Taking a Costa Cruise!
Earth Day is April 22nd!
Did you know?
Costa is the Greenest Cruise Line around! They have won numerous awards for their concern for our environment and their actions toward the proper care of our natural resources and the needs of our planet.
Create your own Earth Day Celebration by booking your next cruise on Costa, the world's GREENEST Cruise Line! See our Costa specials by clicking on the Flash add on the top right of my website.
4/15/10
If you're joining us for our photography cruise-tour of Alaska, Denali, and Fairbanks, here's a green suggestion for a free excursion in Skagway:
The Lower Lake Trall of the Skagway SEAtrails System has it's trailhead just above the cruise dock in Skagway. It winds up the neighboring bluff, through a towering, verdant, temperate rain forest, around Lower Lake, and back to the coast farther down the trail. Hold on tight to your cell phone or camera as you take your breathtaking pictures! I thought I was being careful, but dropped my camera in Lower Lake anyway. Have fun on the trail and enjoy communing with nature on your hike in this lush terrain!
http://www.seatrails.org/pdf/maps-trails/Skagway_LowerLk.pdf
2/17/10
Marilyn Green of Travel Age West makes some green coments on the cruise industry. Please click on the following link:
http://www.travelagewest.com/cruise/article_ektid37902.aspx?terms=green+cruising
Sustainable Sushi Week: Oct. 22 - 28, 2008
Sushi fans, do you know which choices are best for your health and the environment? Never fear, help is on the way. Three ocean conservancy organizations—Blue Ocean Institute, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the Environmental Defense Fund—have published their own pocket guides to sustainable sushi, which will be available October 22. That’s three sushi guides to chose from!
The mini color-coded guides indicate whether or not your plate poses a risk to the ocean's future and your health, considering factors such as the levels of mercury or PCBs that might be present.
The groups are asking for your help in celebrating the launch by going out for a sustainable dinner at your local sushi bar during Sustainable Sushi Week—October 22 to October 28. Starting October 22, get the full guides online or order a hardcopy at the organizations' websites.
The red list includes species that are either overfished, farmed with aquaculture methods that pollute the ocean, or caught using methods that destroy ocean habitats or kill large amounts of other sea life (the reason is indicated for each fish in the pocket guide). The green list details fish that come from abundant, well-managed fisheries or are raised using sustainable aquaculture methods.
On the red list (fish to avoid):
« bluefin tuna (hon maguro/kuro maguro)
« freshwater eel (unagi)
« farmed salmon (sake)
On the green list:
« wild-caught Alaska salmon (sake)
« farmed scallops (hotate)
« Pacific halibut (hirame)