Celebrating The 50th Year of IMO Treaty with CWNYC Art Shows

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employs a variety of strategies to monitor and reduce marine emissions.

This article is the third article in a series of articles about the New York Statewide celebrated Climate Week NYC September 22-29 (CWNYC Articles).

The World Maritime Day 2024 will take place on September 26, 2024 with a Parallel International Maritime Organization (IMO) Event to be held in Spain from October 20-22, 2024 and art shows held in NY, MD USA as part of CWNYC. Please see more details here. Because, this year's World Maritime Day marks 50 years since the adoption of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, the key IMO treaty regulating maritime safety with a theme "Navigating the future: safety first!”

Turkiye - Sloops of the Hudson River

The theme is closely linked to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and several of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 7 on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and clean energy research and technology; SDG 8 on promoting sustainable economic growth; SDG 9 on building resilient infrastructure and sustainable industrialization that fosters innovation; SDG 13 combating climate change and its impacts; and SDG 14 on conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources. Read more here. 

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said "This theme would allow us to focus on the full range of safety regulatory implications arising from new and adapted technologies and the introduction of alternative fuels including measures to reduce GHG emissions from ships as IMO strives to ensure the safety and efficiency of shipping are maintained, and potentially improved, so that the flow of seaborne international trade continues to be smooth and efficient.”

Thailand - Panare, Ship on the Shore

How Does EPA Monitor & Reduce Maritime Emissions?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employs a variety of strategies to monitor and reduce marine emissions. After all, the world’s oceans cover about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. And have a two-way relationship with weather and climate. The oceans influence the weather on local to global scales, while changes in climate can fundamentally alter many properties of the oceans resulting in Marine Heat Waves.¹

As greenhouse gases trap more energy from the sun, the Ocean Heat increases, resulting in an increase in Sea Surface Temperatures, rising Sea Levels and Ocean Acidity. Changes in ocean temperatures and currents brought about by climate change led to alterations in climate patterns around the world. For example, impacts associated with sea level rise and stronger storm surges are especially relevant to coastal communities along the Atlantic Coast including the with rising sea levels result in A Closer Look: Land Loss Along the Atlantic Coast and Coastal Flooding.

South Korea - Stars on the Sea

EPA action to reduce Ocean and Coastal Acidification/pollution focuses on two categories that cause acidification: carbon dioxide emissions and excess nutrients. EPA is collaborating with federal Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification and non-federal partners researching and monitoring ocean and coastal and temperatures. See Additional ocean and coastal acidification web resources.

The EPA has also undertaken the following initiatives and enacted regulations and permits for the sustainable operation of marine vessels:

1. Regulations and Permits: The EPA sets regulations for emissions from marine vessels, including both spark-ignition and compression-ignition (diesel) engines¹. These regulations are designed to limit pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and particulate matter (PM).
2. Vessel General Permit (VGP): This permit regulates incidental discharges from commercial vessels, such as ballast water, bilge water, and deck runoff². The VGP includes requirements for pollution control measures and monitoring.
3. No-Discharge Zones: The EPA works with states to designate areas where the discharge of sewage from vessels is prohibited². These zones help protect sensitive aquatic ecosystems from pollution.
4. International Collaboration: The EPA collaborates with international bodies to enforce global standards for marine emissions. This includes working with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to implement MARPOL Annex VI, which sets limits on NOx and SOx emissions from ships.²
5. Research and Monitoring: The EPA conducts studies to understand the impact of marine emissions and develop new technologies for emission reduction. This includes research on cleaner fuels and advanced emission control technologies.³

CWNY World Maritime Day Art Shows

As part of my CLIMATE WEEK NYC (CWNYC) ART SHOWS⁴ which are United Nations General Assembly events⁵ with a theme of exploring the Hudson Valley’s importance in sparking the environmental movement in the U.S., which took off worldwide I prepared two events for World Maritime Day.

Healing Hudson by Selva Ozelli for PHM

I collaborated with four Museums including world’s first Climate Change Museum CUHK Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, Climarte, Lord Howe Island Museum, Teiduma, SEACHA and its partner Thai-based film festival Changing Climate Changing Lives (CCCL) Film Festival to prepare these events.

The events will be held at Chesapeake Bay Partner (CBP) Cultural Institutions Putnam History Museum (PHM)⁶ and Havre de Grace Maritime Museum (HGMM), 
Date: September 26
Time: PHM 12-1PM HDGMM 10AM - 5PM, 
Address: PHM 63 Chestnut Street, Cold Spring, NY
HDGMM 100 Lafayette Street, Havre de Grace, MD

Selva Ozelli’s Art Shows for HDGMM

1. https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/oceans
2. https://www.epa.gov/regulations-emissions-vehicles-and-engines/regulations-emissions-marine-vessels
3. https://www.epa.gov/vessels-marinas-and-ports
4. https://www.climateweeknyc.org/events/climate-week-nyc-art-shows-selva-ozelli-4-museums.
5. https://ungaguide.com/events/climate-week-nyc-art-shows-by-selva-ozelli-for-4-museums-events/
6. https://www.putnamhistorymuseum.org/events/hybrid-lunch-learn-healing-hudson-and-the-american-environmental-movement/