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'Eco-extremists' letter wrong on the facts
I read Mr.
Wells' recent guest column, "Eco-extremists are hurting environmental
movement ..." Given the high value he places on honesty and facts, I
wish to point out several misstatements [he made].
Mr. Wells
claims that the master of the ship that discharged 36,000 gallons of
sewage, gray water and oily bilge into the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary
reported the spill to authorities. To the contrary, as reported in the
New York Times and the Monterey Herald, the spill was discovered after
local authorities requested and reviewed the ship's discharge logs three
months later.
When the
company was asked why they hadn't reported the discharge, they
responded, "because it wasn't illegal; we only broke our word."
Mr. Wells also
claims that advanced wastewater treatment systems are now standard on
all new ships and that the list of ships with these systems is readily
available. If he followed the news, he would know that Oceana's campaign
against Royal Caribbean is to get a commitment from the company to
install these systems. RCCL refuses to make such a commitment. Also,
there is no list available (outside of Alaska, which only covers ships
discharging in Alaska's waters) that tells us what systems are on what
ships.
Finally, Mr.
Wells has labeled me a "professional anti-cruise activist." That is a
gross misrepresentation.
I am a social
scientist and earn my living as a university professor. My research and
writing is focused on the cruise industry. I derive no income from my
lectures and barely cover my research expenses with royalties from book
sales. Those are the facts.
Ross A.
Klein
St. John's,
Newfoundland |
