Plagues have often marked the end of one age and heralded in another. The Antonine Plague in ancient Rome brought an end to the concept of Pax Romana and laid the groundwork for the dominance of Christianity in European power structures. They called it the Holy Roman Empire. The Great Plague in Europe resulted in the demise of Feudalism and an advance in technological innovations. We define COVID-19 as pandemic so as not to scare the bejeezus out of everyone if we were to call it a plague. This latest plague is shutting down the oil-based economies of the world and many people like what they see. A new era is on the rise. People in their lockdown homes are seeing a vision of a pollution-free world.
When the industry rewakes, a new dawn will be on the horizon.
Carbon levels are falling for the first time in history. The air in cities feels fresher. Respiratory illnesses related to pollution are down. Improvements in air quality recorded in China may have saved the lives of 4,000 children under 5 years old and 73,000 adults over 70. Even more conservative estimates would put the number of lives saved at roughly 20 times the number of deaths from the virus directly.
Researchers in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, have reported the coldest winter in ten years which suggests that the surrounding seas have had more ice. The less ice containing carbon dioxide melts, releasing CO2 into the air, the less the damage to the environment. It’s not a significant reduction, given the decades of damage to the ice caps, but it is a move in the right direction.
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) is one of a group of highly reactive gases known as oxides of nitrogen or nitrogen oxides (NOx). NO2 primarily gets in the air from the burning of fuel. The impact that Nitrogen Oxide has on the respiratory system is now no longer tolerated as a necessary by-product of industrial output but is increasingly considered an existential threat to our well-being and prosperity. A high percentage of the population is suffering from respiratory issues due to the extremely high pollution levels, unfortunately resulting in a high death rate. People are beginning to wake up to the karmic consequences of their comfortable lifestyles that depend on fossil fuels.
The images of the clear canals of Venice, gleaming blue and teeming with fish, give us a vision of a world free of pollution.
The ocean, the lungs of the earth, is a large filtration system, with an estimated 34 million tons of carbon stored per year in the ocean’s eco-systems. The greater the carbon stored, the higher the acidity of the water. The higher the acidity, the greater the damage to the coral reef, which has a vital role to play in the protection of marine life.
The future will herald a change in vision. This global pandemic is kindling a global vision of a pollution-free world.
The superyacht industry is a microcosm of the world at large and has long taken the green argument on board. New designs incorporate clean energy and zero impact credentials. One of the problems facing innovators is the lack of distribution. The slow take-up of solar and electrical power is mostly down to the shortage of distributions systems compared to fossil fuel industry which has a vast network of supply and distribution, not to mention vested interests acting to keep the party going. In addition to all the gas stations, the oil industry is currently storing 600 million barrels of crude. They are not going anywhere in a hurry. Canada is preparing a multi-billion dollar bailout of its own oil industry, a stimulus that makes sound economic sense but in terms of continuing the downtrend of carbon emissions, is just dumb and short-sighted.
The oil-industry is considered vital to national interests. The environment less so.
The Green lobby has its work cut out. In the US climate change denial is a semi-official government policy. The democrats have a half-hearted policy of achieving zero emissions by 2050. In Europe, only in Germany does the Green party hold any significant role in domestic politics. Everybody likes the idea of a green planet but when it comes to elections the greens get shut out of mainstream politics. It all stays in the realm of pretty pictures and outraged posts on Facebook.
People all over the world are waking up to the damage that oil-powered economies have caused to the environment. Lock people up long enough and they start to think deeply. Millions are beginning to recognise that this vandalism cannot continue unchecked. The pandemic is not directly related to the dominance of oil, but a vision of a brave new world is giving birth to a new ideology which does not include fossil fuels and their derivatives. France has introduced strict measures to protect marine plant life near its shores, and this will impact Superyachts. More stringent rules on NOx emissions in Emission Control Areas are due to kick in for sub-500gt vessels on 1st January 2021.
Criticize the UNWIs as much as you like for their extravagance, a lot of them are digging deep into the pockets to go green in their megayachts. The industry is actually becoming a microcosm of green values and innovation. Having green credentials is becoming a badge of honour. Pollute at your peril.
