This poem is an *IA Writing Competition (creative work category) entry.
Balancing
Back then, cruise ships offered little other than deck chairs and drinks with paper umbrellas. Back then, cruise ships were powered by coal. Now how much has changed! They offer so much more, and pollute so much less…
Most cruise ships run primarily on heavy fuel oil BOUTIQUES! SPAS! high sulphur content 0.3% FITNESS CENTRES! CINEMAS! 2,700 times worse than those from equivalent road traffic LIBRARY! THEATRES! and they account for 10% of black carbon emissions or soot OUTDOOR AND INDOOR SWIMMING POOLS! the dark colour of the particle means that it absorbs sunlight HOT TUBS! heating up the atmosphere FINE DINING! contributing in no small way to our CLUBS, LOUNGES, POOL TABLES! Climate Emergency …
Discharge to the marine environment including: KARAOKE! TEEN LOUNGES! sewage, grey water, oily bilge, ballast water, solid waste BOWLING ALLEYS! ICE SKATING RINKS! these wastes, if not properly treated BROADWAY SHOWS! can be a significant source of pathogens and toxic substances with the potential to ROCK CLIMBING WALLS!
threaten human health and damage aquatic life SKY-DIVING SIMULATORS! Particular types of wastes CASINOS! CARD ROOMS! are worse for cruise ships with MINIATURE GOLF! VIDEO ARCADES! such large numbers of passengers and crew CHAIN RESTAURANTS! 24-HOUR BUFFET! producing equally large volumes of waste.
Complaints about air pollution by people in ports ZIPLINES! SURFING SIMULATORS!
where cruise ships dock ROPE OBSTACLE COURSES! say it’s getting worse every year
ROLLER COASTERS! We can see it smell it and taste it
ICON OF THE SEAS — "THE WORLD’S LARGEST WATERPARK AT SEA"
every ship polluting as much as 14,000 cars even while docked 6 RECORD BREAKING WATER SLIDES! ON-BOARD INFINITY POOL! cruise ships emit 2-5 times more CO2 per passenger kilometre 9 WHIRLPOOLS! 40 WAYS TO DRINK AND DINE! than the average commercial plane
SO MUCH FUN! so much damage SO MUCH EXCITEMENT! so much DEVASTATION.
Karen Throssell is an award-winning writer and poet who has had seven poetry collections published. Her poems have appeared in various journals and anthologies. She is the author of The Crime of not Knowing your Crime: Ric Throssell against ASIO.
* Full IA Writing Competition details HERE.
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