From the Land of Throwaway Boats

Published on October 9th, 2024

by Jonathan Klopman
Despite breathless press coverage, the crusade for “carbon neutral boating” seems to be losing steam. Whether it is cost, a lack of viable “clean” watercraft, or the public’s recognition that putting around in a battery powered launch would get old quick, I just don’t see any sign that the green revolution in recreational boating that for the past 10 years was “just over the horizon” is steaming into view.

Even though I have a deep affection for internal-combustion engines, that doesn’t mean I am oblivious to the environmental waste in our industry. I see our impact, but as we look at strategies to reduce it, I fear we are missing the forest for the trees. Pleasure boating, in terms of hours of use per season, has been on the decline for decades.

Recent studies peg it at less than 50 hours per year, which means that a BMW X5 with conservation plates and a “The Earth is our Mother” bumper sticker burns far more gas in a year than the average recreational powerboat. – Full report

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