Policy Solutions News

The hard-fought passage of VIDA promises a simpler, more unified and logical set of environmental standards related to the discharge of myriad vessel streams. Industry wanted it, and now it is here. Will it deliver, and if so, when? That depends on who you talk to.As most commercial maritime operators know, US ballast water regulations made a sharp turn last December. That’s when President Trump signed the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018.That legislation contained Title IX – the “Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA)…

The ailing U.S. coal industry is ramping up its political and legal offensive to win approval for West Coast export terminals that could provide a lifeline to lucrative Asia markets. Coal producers filed two recent lawsuits against governments in Washington state and California challenging local decisions to block port projects on environmental grounds. The industry is also lobbying the Trump administration to override the local bans. The fight reflects the sector’s desperation to boost exports as U.S.

“Ocean Conservancy welcomes steps taken by the International Maritime Organization to mitigate risks to the Arctic from the use and carriage of the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel. “Support for Measures to Reduce Risks of Use and Carriage of Heavy Fuel Oil as Fuel by Ships in Arctic Waters marks an important milestone in the bid to phase out the use of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic. “With climate change impacts resulting in record-breaking loss of sea ice—winter ice in the Arctic hit a record setting low in 2017 since records began 38 years ago—there will be a dramatic increase in vessel traffic through shorter Arctic sea routes to transport cargo between Southeast Asia and Europe. At present, around 75% of marine fuel currently carried in the Arctic is heavy fuel oil.

The 5 Gyres Institute, a leader in global plastic pollution research, has launched an online contest for those who want to learn first-hand about the problem and help drive solutions. One winner will be chosen to join the final leg of 5 Gyre’s June research expedition to the North Atlantic Ocean. Contestants may enter here through May 11, 2015. The final, six-day leg of the voyage will traverse the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, where plastic pollution collects in high concentrations. It will depart St. George’s, Bermuda on June 18 and arrive in New York, New York on June 23. Contestants will be asked to submit a short video describing what they’ll do after the trip to solve plastic pollution locally.

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, recognized the Port of Houston Partners in Maritime Education as part of the 2015 Bright Ideas program. This year's cohort includes 124 programs from all levels of government--school districts; county, city, state, and federal agencies; as well as public-private partnerships--that are at the forefront in innovative government action. Since 2009, the Port of Houston Authority has been tackling the growing need for skilled maritime workers by organizing maritime academies at four area school districts at the high school level to introduce youth to maritime transportation systems and career pathways as mariners, and in shipbuilding and repair, and port operations.

Admiral Robert J. Papp, 
Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, to address the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) forum on May 21, 2013. CSIS Europe Program will host a Military Strategy Forum on the Coast Guard's strategic vision for its future role in the Arctic, featuring Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., 
Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, and 

Heather A. Conley
 Senior Fellow and Director of the Europe Program, CSIS
. Admiral Papp said, "The U.S. approach to the Arctic region must reflect our values as a nation and as a member of the global community.

“Gotchas” are pitfalls, catches, bait and land mines – a kicker, snare or snag. They are surprises and, in the world of insurance, surprises are rarely a good thing. ‘Gotchas’ can be caused by different things. It may be the age of the coverage forms; it may be case law has moved on beyond the policy’s intent. Or, it may be there is a ‘disconnect’ between policy wording and current business practices. Sometimes, these things occur simply because some insurance contracts are impenetrable. Insurance policies are a distinctly difficult set of documents to understand.

The report explains how implementing science-based fisheries management in the 25 countries that control more than 75% of the world's fish stocks - specifically measures that reduce overfishing, protect habitat and limit bycatch - will increase fish stocks to the point that wild seafood could sustainably feed 700 million people a day. Putting in place these policies in the countries that control most of the world's marine fish catch will also help protect important ocean ecosystems. According to projections by the United Nations, there will be 9 billion people on earth by 2050, a 30 percent increase in the world's population. The UN also estimates that food production will need to increase even further, by 70 percent, to meet a forecasted increased demand for food.