The Secrets of the Logistics Industry

Almost everything that we consume on a day-to-day basis has travelled hundreds or thousands of miles across the world. Whether it be bananas from Ecuador, iron ore from Brazil, or grain from Australia, there needs to be an intermediary which is responsible for bringing these products to other countries as exports. It has gone largely unnoticed to the general public that shipping is in fact one of the titans upholding our world’s economic and social infrastructure, with around 81% of total worldwide goods reliant on this industry. However, there are also prominent environmental detriments, such as producing around 3% of the total GHG emissions every year (the same as air travel) [1], disastrous oil spills and sound pollution, which disrupts echolocation and causes hearing loss for an abundance of marine animals. In this article, I will be outlining these issues and evaluating the efficiency of current solutions, as well as attempting to pave a pathway into the future.

There exists a plethora of different shapes and sizes of boats responsible for transporting goods around the world. Some are designed to sail specific routes, and their names are quite descriptive of their purpose; boats which voyage through the Panama canals are Panamaxes, boats which voyage through the Suez Canal are called Suezmaxes, and so on. A large majority of these boats all burn the same type of fuel: a dark, viscous sludge called heavy fuel oil, which is extremely high in sulphur and burns to form sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and aerosols, damaging the atmosphere very quickly, leading to poor air quality and global warming. Thankfully, prominent shipping players such as Maersk, COSCO and MSC have been working on solutions such as alternative and hybrid engine types which burn LNG (liquefied natural gas) and liquid methanol as fuel. LNG emits 31% less CO2 when combusted, and green methanol (zero net carbon to produce it) comes in at 38% less. [2] However, due to the hefty prices of these great alternatives compared to conventional fuel oil, they have not been widely introduced.

On the topic of oil, thousands of images and videos of seabirds and various animals caught in a black slick provide a great insight into the horrible scale of another one of shipping’s major environmental impacts: oil spills. These can have devastating effects on coastal areas when they happen, decreasing biodiversity in the area and damaging coral reefs. For example, in 1989, the Exxon Valdez caused a disastrous oil spill after running into a reef in Alaskan waters, spilling 11 million gallons of oil into the pristine coast [3]. This caused the pollution of 1300 miles of coast and the death of 100,000 to 250,000 seabirds, 2800 otters, 300 harbour seals, and 22 orcas, as well as many other fish and local wildlife [4]. Many events similar to the Exxon Valdez spill have occurred since then, with each incident having similar devastating consequences. Presently, new developments in undersea scanning and technology allows the industry to minimise future risks by planning better routes.

Other aspects affecting a vessel’s total carbon emissions lies in its specifications, for example how fast the ship is travelling, since it requires more oil to be burned at a higher top speed. Therefore, to conserve energy and increase efficiency, shipyards have researched methods to increase the range, fuel efficiency and stability of the boat. For example, a bulbous bow at the front of the ship allows for a more streamlined journey through the water, requiring less fuel to be burned overall. This decreases the voyage time and in turn reduces the total carbon emissions. Also, organisations are imposing policies on shipowners to pay taxes for higher GHG emissions, attempting to make their ships greener. The EU ETS is a carbon market which uses negative emissions as currency, giving support to those who have switched to low-carbon alternatives by giving them privileges bought by this ‘currency’, such as lower harbour prices and cheaper fuel. [5] The EEXI and CII are both new policies enforced by the International Maritime Organisation and are responsible for ensuring newly built ships are conforming to environmental goals and regulations. [6] Finally, biofouling is a problem which increases the total emissions. Biofouling refers to when plants, algae and small organisms such as barnacles accumulate on the bottom of a ship’s hull and increase the drag and weight of the boat, decreasing fuel efficiency. There are existing solutions which involve using paint imbued with tributyltin, however this can contaminate oceans and is also quite expensive. More efficient methods of decreasing it are being developed, such as a specialised speaker which emits a certain frequency of sound to prevent the growth of these organisms. [7]

Shipping has largely evaded the scrutiny of environmental activists, with the movement being much less prominent than that against vehicles and aircraft. Despite the hidden overwhelming importance of this industry interweaved with daily life, its environmental drawbacks go largely unaddressed by those who do not realise the scale of global shipping operations.