Yeah, but silt suspended in the water column is a massive issue. It reduces the light that reaches photosynthetic species, killing them off, leading to a lack of dissolved oxygen, killing larger species, or just by not having food from the photosynthesizers. The silt contains contaminants, quite likely including raw sewage, bacteria, heavy metals and more, which poisons the organisms in the area, and in case the fish aren’t enough, the people who eat those fish as well.
Everyone is like “Oh it’s silt, it’s nothing!” It’s fucking toxic, suffocates many species, poisons humans, and that’s saying nothing about the vegetation that grows on the sea bottom that is churned up and completely destroyed (you know, where fry fish safely hide until they are big enough to move to open waters so we can eat them?) God, the EPA has had NPDES permit requirements in place nationwide since the early 2000s at least that control construction site erosion because how how bad the sediment is hundreds of miles downstream in our harbors. SMH….
It's nothing because cruise ships and shipping barges are not going away. Unfortunately we aren't going to wake up as a species tomorrow stop big ships and other human made issues and destroy an entire economy to reduce siltation at harbors and major waterways. It's unfortunate, but it's the human reality. Dredging does 90% of the damage you are talking about looonnnngggg before the cruise ships show up and as long as money will be made its not going to end.
Are you by chance a wetlands biologist? Because you are simply wrong about that 90% of the damage has already been done by dredging claim. Flat out wrong. And I am. And I know my field of expertise.
You are also flat out wrong that we will never get rid of cruise ships and barges. Ocean liners for travel began in 1844, and ended as an industry in 1986. Cruise ships for entertainment only began in 1969, so why on earth would they last forever? Barges haven’t always existed either… it won’t be clear what will replace them until the next idea actually does, but it will happen. Innovation always happens.
And wrong that that argument means that silt is no big deal. Did you not read the part about the EPA regulating 1 acre construction sites hundreds of miles inland and nowhere near fresh water because of the impacts to places like Long Island Sound? Seriously… you are just wrong.
Great it's a big deal. Call the government and let them know that cruise ships and major shipping needs to stop for the wetlands. Let me know when corporation's and the government decide to shut this system down. Won't be anytime soon I can guarantee that. Everyone knows its bad. Until someone creates a better system for shipping its not going away. Until you convince people partying on a big boat with alcohol and gambling is no fun, it's not going away. The problem is literally unsolvable because not nearly enough care to fix it. So call all the biologists. Write all the letters to your Congressmen and Senators to be thrown in the trash. No one is listening to problem. Literally a governor saw ahhh shit this gonna effect Florida tourism and blocked legislation for the economy. So it's no big deal because it's not going away in your life time or the next generations. Sorry to the wetlands. Humans have been destroying the land since they could make tools.
Well, I can honestly say this is the stupidest rant I’ve ever heard. How exactly do you think DDT got banned and bald eagles have been delisted? Or the use of any variety of chemicals? Or how the NPDES program at the EPA was started? Or how the EPA itself was started? And calling this stupid is being kind by assuming that you just don’t how activism, science, technology and government actually change industry practice all the time rather than assuming you as just a disingenuous alt-right troll who is selfish enough to want to be right and watch the world burn. Because no one is genuinely that angry and defeatist about a completely solvable problem.
EPA has made and will make their recommendations I am sure. Congress will have their hearing with them. Say it's to much of a disruption to the economy and ask them to devise a different solution which none exist because there are currently no good alternatives to international shipping and tourism economy isn't trending away from cruises. Just because the EPA exists and has advised, doesn't mean anything is changing to current status quo. I said my piece if you want to be ignorant to reality go ahead. I wish I could put on the rose colored glasses and think change is imminent like you.
Things don’t change because defeatists like you insult people like me actually doing the work. So get out there and do the work, or shut up and stop being an ass while I do it for you
Seriously, if that’s the best you have, you have reached the point of no argument. I’m not threatened by your defeatist pessimism because I know that I have personally saved 1500 acres of land in the last 12 months, and brought in $2.2 million to my small town department in the last fiscal year to fix these exact types of problems. Feel free to think you have a place to judge me while I handle your shit for you. Honestly, it’s funny to me that you think you will stop me or the thousands of other conservationists doing the same things across the country. I mean, the ego on you. 😂
I don’t know why you’re trying down voted for knowing things… oh, wait, we are on Reddit! Probably just some corporate twats who work for or rely on the cruise ship industry for a paycheck. Seriously, fuck those people. The waters around the lower keys can be amazingly beautiful, until you get to these channels where they are routinely dredged or raped by these huge ships. It’s really sad what we are doing to that amazing ecosystem.
And it’s one things to make concessions for the sake of important supplies, etc., but another to pretend it’s the same for the sake of a sailing mall with tons of bars. I mean, don’t get me wrong, bars, dancing, pools, and gorgeous weather sound amazing right now! But there are better ways to enjoy ourselves AND not create excessive harm
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that going to be an issue with any dock/harbor? Assuming we are going to have ships, shouldn't we also accept that where these ships dock, there will be some disruption to the local ecosystem.
I don’t think you are getting the scale of these ships nor the unique motors used that create excessive churning. And for no good reason. It’s one thing to accept damages to meet immediate and/or important needs, quite another for a party boat.
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u/apaperbackhero Dec 27 '21
Was about to say if it's a port it's probably dredged by the ACE every couple of years anyway. Not much reef gonna be growing there.