Baltic and European news
Ship air pollution death toll "could be halved"
2478, 06/02/08
Using cleaner marine fuel could prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths caused each year by air pollution from shipping, according to scientists in a new study submitted to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) by Friends of the Earth.
The researchers say heart and lung disease caused by air pollution from international shipping will cause over 80,000 premature deaths by 2012. At least half of these could be avoided by switching to low-sulphur marine fuels, they claim. Low-sulphur fuels emit less particulate matter, a major cause of illness.
The US-based Clean air task force (CATF), which released the new study, estimates the 40-50,000 lives saved annually would benefit society by up to US$275bn (E188bn) per year.
The IMO is meeting in London this week to finalise proposals to amend pollution rules for international shipping. These amendments should be agreed by the IMO's marine environment committee (MEPC) in April and rubber-stamped by IMO governments in October.
The proposals will take into account the results of an independent study completed in December that set out to help evaluate options for reducing emissions of sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and carbon dioxide (EED 23/04/07
http://www.endseuropedaily.com/23063).
Follow-up: See CATF press release
http://www.catf.us/press_room/20080204-Cleaner_Ship_Fuel_Could_Save-Tens_of_Thousands_of_Lives.pdf
and study
plus IMO press release http://www.imo.org/Newsroom/mainframe.asp?topic_id=1472&doc_id=8837.
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