Take action to protect the planet from cruise ships!

Cruising is one of the most environmentally harmful ways to travel. Many of the ships discharge a toxic cocktail of petroleum products. These pollutants can then harm wildlife like the 73 remaining Southern Resident Killer Whales – driving the species closer to extinction.

Carnival’s recent actions show that the cruise industry will continue to sacrifice our oceans and marine life for profit – unless someone steps in to stop it. Now, it’s up to you to use your voice and demand change.

Dear Member of Congress,

Over the years, cruise companies have polluted our air, water, and climate — much of this pollution is legal, but cruise companies are also responsible for significant illegal pollution. In 2020, the cruise industry was thrust into the spotlight for knowingly putting public health at risk from COVID-19. Thousands of people contracted the virus while on cruise ships and hundreds died. The cruise industry has repeatedly made choices that put the health of people and the planet at risk, and it continues today.

Southern Resident Killer Whales are at serious risk. The cruise industry is dumping its exhaust gas scrubber wastewater into the marine waters where orcas live. This practice is exacerbating the threats to this iconic species. The Southern Resident Killer Whales are sounding the alarm bells; only one in three survive birth. They are starving due to the lack of salmon. They are stressed and hungry, and the cruise industry is only making matters worse.

Scrubbers were supposed to be one of the solutions to clean up the cruise industry’s dirty smokestacks. Instead, these scrubbers merely convert the industry’s dirty air pollution into toxic water pollution. The significant majority of scrubbers used by the cruise industry are open-loop and emit acidic wastewater that is warmer than ambient seawater and contains heavy metals, PAHs, particulate matter, and nitrates, all of which are very harmful to the marine environment and the marine creatures that inhabit it. All of our oceans are at risk from the cruise industry’s polluting emissions, and they need to stop immediately.

The world’s largest cruise company — Carnival Corporation — has been on criminal probation for the last four years as part of a record-setting $60 million fine and plea agreement for illegally dumping oily waste into the ocean for nearly a decade, as well as obstruction of justice for hiding its criminal activities from regulators. Carnival was allowed to restart cruising in the US last year despite continued and ongoing pollution during its probation. Without this prosecution, we would likely have no knowledge of Carnival’s ongoing environmental crimes. And yet Carnival was fined another $40 million two years into its probation and a week ago, another $1 million for its ongoing failure to comply with the terms set out by the federal court in Miami. In order to properly monitor and enforce environmental and public health laws on cruise ships, we need independent federal observers for all large cruise ships in the US. Without this protection, we will likely see Carnival Corp. or other big cruise companies prosecuted for environmental crimes in the future since they can’t be trusted to protect our oceans.

I am calling on you to protect public health and the environment. Please commit to addressing the cruise industry's negative impacts on passengers, crew, communities, oceans, and marine wildlife through improved and increased regulation and oversight of the industry.

Sincerely,
{user_data~First name} {user_data~Last name}
{user_data~City}, {user_data~State} {user_data~Postcode}

First name

Last name

Email address

Address line 1

City

State

Zip Code

What is your cell phone number?

Alerts about ways you can take action

Friends of the Earth Action Activists

By submitting this form, you are signing up to receive updates and alerts from Friends of the Earth and Friends of the Earth Action. You may unsubscribe at any time.

By providing your mobile number and submitting this form, you are signing up to receive texts, calls, and voice mails from Friends of the Earth and Friends of the Earth Action. Msg & data rates may apply. For texts: Msg & data rates may apply. Text STOP to 30644 to stop receiving messages. Text HELP to 30644 for more information. Terms & conditions.