In news that will shock no one, the largest cruise line in the world has once again been caught polluting our oceans. No, not the insane amount of fossil fuels it burns in order to maintain its operations … that’s all totally legal. In addition to polluting our environment the legal way, Carnival has been literally dumping their trash, a huge amount of single-use plastic no less, straight overboard and into the sea. It’s a pretty regular occurrence for them – this total lack of regard for our environment. Hardly being punished is pretty commonplace too.
In June of 2019, Princess Cruises (a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise Lines) was once again found to be blatantly and flagrantly polluting our oceans. This time they saw fit to blight the naturally stunning waters of the Bahamas with their k-cups and sporks. Judge Patricia Seitz demanded that all members of the Carnival Corporation Executive Committee attend this latest hearing, wherein she pretty much maintained the status quo. (1) She fined them a laughable amount, stated her disappointment, and made vague threats about future restrictions.
Carnival: Severe Punishment Needed
She did float an interesting idea though, which suggests that perhaps she is getting a little fed up with them. One that could actually mean an end to this ridiculous game of fines that barely amount to .01% of their earnings. Someday, if they don’t clean up their act, Judge Seitz offered that maybe they just won’t be allowed to dock in US waters. (1) Now we’re talking! A punishment that may actually matter.
Behavior change happens when the consequences outweigh the pleasure of whatever you’re doing. Carnival copped to dumping plastic waste, failing to accurately record waste disposals, falsifying waste records, and sending crews to put temporary fixes in place for known environmental violations, prior to inspections. These things, every one of them, suggest a flagrant disregard for the environment and a total lack of interest in participating in the conservation of maintaining our planet. When the punishment amounts to a fraction of a fraction of their annual earnings, it’s hard to take it seriously.
Carnival, and Princess, have a long history of blatant disrespect for our planet. Their behavior is no secret. In 2017 the exact same subsidiary was fined for illegally dumping oil into the ocean and then attempting to cover it up. That fine, 40 million dollars, was a mere 0.2 percent of the $17.51 billion Carnival Corp made in 2017. (1)
Carnival Cruise Lines: Enemy Of Earth
As part of this latest settlement, Carnival will undergo additional ship inspections, improved environmental compliance, and a reduction in their single-use plastics. Failure to comply could involve fines of $1 million to $10 million per day. Big whoop.
It’s a sad commentary on the state of things, that we can have such a well-known environmental offender who repeatedly damages the environment, and the worst they get is a penalty equivalent to couch cushion change and a “we’ll be watching you”. No wonder they don’t have any interest in making a positive contribution. They don’t have to.
When a dog misbehaves, you don’t keep enabling them. You increase the severity of discipline until the undesirable behavior stops. Carnival should be punished like the rowdy dog that it is. Their toys should be taken away until they can play nicely. Instead, they’re trashing our room while the “responsible adults” look the other way.
