Page 58: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2020)

Opinon: The Final Word

First Light from

GOES-16

Image: ASA/NOAA

GOES-R image courtesy of the NOAA National

Environmental Satellite,

Data, and Information

Service (NESDIS).

age the uptake of better solutions, while such as The Switch DC-Hub, could be ture. And to even have one, we need action the income from those taxes could be used incentivized for owners, ensuring that from our industry, with the strong support to support the development and installa- they have the capability to meet all future of governments and regulators across the tion of new technology. Stricter regula- regulations and fuel mixes, for long-term world. That will be the deal breaker.

tions would require compliance, but per- compliance and effcient sailing. We can do this if we work together. And, haps the fnancial burden could be shifted These are relatively modest measures if the corona pandemic has proven any- to government – in the same way as they that could translate into huge environ- thing, it’s shown we are certainly capable are providing aid right now – with green mental benefts – for our industry, society of doing that, achieving extraordinary grants, or access to funding that is reliant and the planet. We just need to get started. things in remarkably tight timescales.

on meeting stringent environmental crite- The biggest challenges require the great- ria. Call to action est responses, and there is no bigger threat

Research into green synthetic fuels – a The environmental crisis is more ab- than climate change. It’s time for those in vaccine against pollution – could be fast- stract than its corona sibling, so it’s harder power to respond. The world demands it.

tracked and centrally supported, while to imagine the direct individual conse- technology that is already available and quences for each and every one of us.

The Author proven today, such as batteries and hybrid Unfortunately, we may not be able to do systems, could be encouraged for imme- that until it’s too late – until we’ve passed

Halsebakke diate effciency and emissions gains on the point where our actions can achieve

Asbjørn Halsebakke is today’s world feet. meaningful change.

Product Manager, Yas-

Newbuilds with future-proof technol- Despite this short-term crisis, we have kawa Environmental ogy, capable of utilizing any fuel source, to try to not lose sight of our long-term fu-

Energy/The Switch.

58 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • April 2020