17 Jul Seattle times article on cruise 7.17.21

Thanks Brendan Kiley for exposing the toxic underbelly of the Seattle Cruise industry for Times readers. This is the most in depth coverage by mainstream news media of the relationship between the Port of Seattle and the cruise industry, and the impact on the environment. A few portions in need of correction: When Kiley characterizes Ms. Burton’s research on greenhouse gas emissions by the cruise industry as “an educated guess”, he minimizes that her numbers are actually an informed estimate using carbon calculators. Also, it’s important to acknowledge that the Times, like most major media is part of corporate America and depends upon advertising revenue from cruise industries and paid subscriptions from readers, creating an inherent conflict of interest. Economic arguments on the benefits of the cruise industry routinely ignore the immense (and ultimately incalculable) costs of climate disasters, violence and injustice to below deck cruise workers earning less than two dollars per day, species extinctions, public health costs and impacts due to viral disease, pollution, negative impacts on community life from overtourism. https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/cruise-ships-have-returned-to-seattle-is-that-a-good-thing-heres-a-primer-on-the-issues-facing-the-cruise-industry/.