Seattle, WA– Local residents and members of the Seattle chapter of the Extinction Rebellion movement blockaded the driveway to Pier 66 on Saturday morning, April 29th, disrupting business as usual to call attention to the harms the cruising industry and the greenwashing by the Port of Seattle. This action happened during the Spring Rebellion week of action in solidarity with other Extinction Rebellion chapters across the western US, including Eugene, Los Angeles, Portland, Phoenix, and San Francisco. The Red Rebels made an appearance with performance art representing the blood, love and rage we feel facing biodiversity loss, impacts to human health, and the climate impacts of cruises and their corresponding flights to and from Seattle.
Currently, Seattle’s cruise sector is responsible for emissions equal to one third of the whole city’s emissions each year. This is split between the passenger flights and the ship emissions, totaling 2 millions tons CO2e compared to Seattle’s 6 million tons CO2e annual emissions. In addition to climate impacts, cruise ships give off significant air pollution caused by burning cheap fuel, that is much more polluting and creates harmful particulates, and contributes to water pollution by dumping sewage, trash, and fuel oil contaminants directly into the ocean. The Seattle to Alaska voyages dump 4 billion gallons of water pollution each year.
Despite pledges from the Port of Seattle for net zero emissions by 2040 and a plan for a “Green Corridor” to Alaska, the Cruise industry has continued to expand with a record number of passengers during the 2023 season. In addition, the industry’s worker practices are exploitative and detrimental to the economic stability of the port communities along the route. Business as usual cannot continue, the Port needs to act now to phase out cruise ships, telling the truth about their harms and centering the communities most affected in a just transition towards a greener future. Learn more about Extinction Rebellion Seattle’s demands at https://xrseattle.org/demands/
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