Friends of the Earth’s blog is a staff-run blog that provides policy analysis, insight and commentary about the environment and other progressive issues, advances our campaigns, and builds momentum for a healthy and just world.
Mar. 7, 2013 / Posted by: John Kaltenstein / Categories: Advocacy, Blog, Oceans and Forests / Tags: Arctic shipping, Heavy fuel oil, John kaltenstein, Whales
With Arctic sea ice melting dramatically due to global warming and natural resource development and trade on the upswing, the region is confronting substantial growth in commercial shipping within its waters. Increased Arctic shipping raises threa...
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Dec. 14, 2012 / Posted by: John Kaltenstein / Categories: Blog, Oceans and Forests / Tags: Arctic shipping, John kaltenstein
Two recent articles outline well some of the harms that Arctic shipping, and shipping more generally, poses to the environment. Rick Steiner, a former professor at the University of Alaska, writes, in particular, about shipping through the Unimak ...
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Sep. 20, 2012 / Posted by: John Kaltenstein / Categories: Blog, Climate and Energy, Oceans and Forests / Tags: John kaltenstein
Arctic summer sea ice extent reached an all-time record low on September 16. The rapid nature of the changes in the region has many scientists concerned, and the implications on weather systems and marine ecosystems could be profound. The shipping...
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Jun. 4, 2012 / Posted by: John Kaltenstein / Categories: Blog, Oceans and Forests / Tags: John kaltenstein
Absent the success of an eleventh hour legal challenge by environmental groups, Shell will begin exploratory drilling off the coast of northern Alaska this summer. Up to five wells could be drilled in the area -- the first time the company has att...
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Mar. 1, 2012 / Posted by: John Kaltenstein / Categories: Blog, Oceans and Forests / Tags: John kaltenstein
As shipping continues to expand in the Arctic, whales in the region are expected to experience increased impacts as a result of underwater noise and ship strikes. A recent study looking at stress levels of right whales in Canada’s Bay of Fun...
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Feb. 2, 2012 / Posted by: John Kaltenstein / Categories: Blog, Oceans and Forests / Tags: John kaltenstein
The Antarctic already has a ban in place on the use of bunker fuel by ships, the US and Canada are getting an Emission Control Area in August which could likely phase out bunker use in North American waters, and the EU is being pressured to elimin...
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Jan. 17, 2012 / Posted by: John Kaltenstein / Categories: Blog, Oceans and Forests / Tags: John kaltenstein
The recent saga of a Russian fishing vessel that struck a submerged iceberg in the Antarctic Ocean illustrates the perils of polar shipping. Three ships originally tried to rescue the 32 crew members of the stranded vessel but were unsuccessful be...
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Jan. 20, 2011 / Posted by: John Kaltenstein / Categories: Blog, Oceans and Forests, Publications / Tags: Air pollution, John kaltenstein
Download the report
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Apr. 6, 2010 / Posted by: John Kaltenstein / Categories: Blog, Oceans and Forests / Tags: John kaltenstein
After a recent and unprecedented victory to reduce shipping air pollution in North America with the adoption of an Emission Control Area -- precipitated by domestic and international advocacy from Friends of the Earth -- our organization is turnin...
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Mar. 26, 2010 / Posted by: John Kaltenstein / Categories: Blog, Oceans and Forests / Tags: John kaltenstein
On March 26, 2010, an international body governing the shipping industry approved rules to limit harmful air pollution from ships in most U.S. and Canadian waters. The rules are expected to prevent millions of illnesses and 14,000 premature deaths...
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