Protect the oceans and send a letter to the Minister of Transport

Canada’s Ministry of Transport has taken a great step to prevent pollution - but they’re still missing the biggest pollution stream, and that is where you come in.

Almost a year ago, the Minister started to address poop being dumped by cruise ships under Canada’s jurisdiction, but they left out the biggest waste stream AND the measures that were just renewed this June STILL don't include it.

The Great Bear Rainforest and Sea on the North Coast of British Columbia is surrounded by fragile marine ecosystems and important habitat for Resident Killer Whales, sea otters, and the kelp forest ecosystems, and it is under threat from pollution from ships. The biggest waste stream is acidic dumping caused by ships’ choice to burn dirty fuel that would be banned if they couldn't dump part of the pollution into the ocean. Despite contributing 40-98% of priority contaminants close to SRKW critical habitat, this big and harmful waste stream has been left completely out of the pollution measures, and could have simply been brought into the renewal this year.

Will you send an email directly to Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport, and tell them that the ocean needs protection and pollution that could be prevented must be banned?

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PERSONALIZE YOUR MESSAGE

Your letter is more effective when it's been personalized by you. The most impactful letters include details about your life, why you care personally, or how you'll be impacted by this decision.

Minister

Pablo

Rodriguez

Minister of Transport and Quebec Lieutenant

Dear Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport

My name is {user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}, and I am writing to you both thank you for the Interim Order that was brought in a year ago to address cruise ship pollution, and to ask that in it’s renewal you include a ban on the pollution devices called exhaust gas cleaning systems, sometimes called scrubbers. As a concerned person, I applaud your move to address the pollution footprint of cruise ships. In addition to renewing the order to defend the ocean in the 2024 season, I ask that you also complete the protections by bringing in a scrubber ban.

Scrubbers are a big problem for the ocean because the wastes these systems dump into our oceans contain dangerous chemicals, heavy metals, and sulphur-based acid. These “emissions cheat systems" contribute to degraded water quality, the toxicity burden of sediment, and to ocean acidification. The International Council for the Exploration of the Seas has found that scrubber washwater has lethal and sub-lethal effects on plankton, a critical component of marine ecosystems. ECCC estimates that scrubbers contribute between 40-98% of the loading of priority contaminants within 300m of SRKW critical habitat.

The PAHs and heavy metals that are dumped in wastewaters from scrubbers are not only toxic to wildlife, they accumulate in the marine environment. They stick around in sediment, or are absorbed by marine wildlife including filter feeding organisms. Bioaccumulation throughout the foodweb means that top predators will have relatively high concentrations of these toxins, like already threatened orcas. Preventing these lethal substances from entering  the marine environment is critical for ecosystem health.

In light of the above, I am writing to celebrate your previous Interim Order, and ask that under the power that you have it be renewed swiftly, and suggest that you include a scrubber ban in the renewed measures.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Kind regards,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

I confirm I have reviewed this message and approve it

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