LnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lciAudGItY29udGFpbmVyLWlubmVye3dpZHRoOjEwMCU7bWFyZ2luOjAgYXV0b30gLndwLWJsb2NrLXRvb2xzZXQtYmxvY2tzLWNvbnRhaW5lci50Yi1jb250YWluZXJbZGF0YS10b29sc2V0LWJsb2Nrcy1jb250YWluZXI9ImQwMTJhMWJlODdmM2UwZjc5MzMwODI2ZDkxYjdlYmFkIl0geyBwYWRkaW5nOiAwO21hcmdpbjogMDsgfSAudGItaGVhZGluZ1tkYXRhLXRvb2xzZXQtYmxvY2tzLWhlYWRpbmc9ImFhMGUzNGM0MjFiNmNhOWNhM2FlMWMwZTNlMzYwYjVkIl0gIHsgZm9udC1zaXplOiAzMnB4O3RleHQtYWxpZ246IGNlbnRlcjsgfSAgQG1lZGlhIG9ubHkgc2NyZWVuIGFuZCAobWF4LXdpZHRoOiA3ODFweCkgeyAudGItY29udGFpbmVyIC50Yi1jb250YWluZXItaW5uZXJ7d2lkdGg6MTAwJTttYXJnaW46MCBhdXRvfSAgfSBAbWVkaWEgb25seSBzY3JlZW4gYW5kIChtYXgtd2lkdGg6IDU5OXB4KSB7IC50Yi1jb250YWluZXIgLnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lci1pbm5lcnt3aWR0aDoxMDAlO21hcmdpbjowIGF1dG99ICB9IA==
Each day, cruise ships generate an astonishing amount of pollution:
– 25,000 gallons of sewage from toilets
– 143,000 gallons of sewage from sinks, galleys and showers
– Seven tons of garbage and solid waste
– 15 gallons of toxic chemicals
– 7,000 gallons of oily bilge water
– More than 200 cruise ships carry millions of passengers to ports around the globe each year
– From 2000-2003, cruise embarkations increased by 1.83 million, a 23 percent increase over the three-year period
– In 2003, U.S. ports handled an estimated 7.1 million cruise embarkations, an increase of 9.4 percent from 2002