Issues associated with Environmental regulatory control for ship Essay

Issues associated with Environmental regulatory control for ship operators - Essay Example e effectiveness of the implementation of the cleaner environmental ship operation practices and the adoption of greener technologies will by far be influenced by a well economically-quantified environmental impact, of the shipping activities (Pandya, 2002:44). Despite the fact that the shipping industry in the modern day operates under a very complex environmental regulatory framework comprising of both domestic and international regulations, the industry has still lagged behind in effective environmental regulatory frameworks (Nyhus, 2012:85). The traditional establishment of the regulatory framework has been in a more reactive than proactive manner, where the regulations are formulated based on events and other circumstances that arise outside the industry necessitating some form of regulatory control on the shipping operations (Nyhus, 2012:85). However, the increased focus on the local and international environmental issues has resulted to a more proactive shipping operations regulation, to reduce the burden of pollution that is shipping on the environment. Shipping is regarded as the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emission into the environment, as well as producing other emissions that are affecting the human health (Mitchell, 2001:72). The emissions from ships are known to cause major human illnesses such as cancer and a range of respiratory diseases. In addition, considering that the emissions from the ships is comprised of gaseous substances and even elements of heavy metal, the emissions from the ships has been found to be impacting negatively on the climate and the environment, through causing acid rain and eutrophication (Clarkson, 2011:7). The major problem in regard to the increasing environmental pollution by the ships emanate from the fact that the environmental effects of emissions were eliminated in the Kyoto protocol together with the aviation emissions. This made these sectors lag behind in the establishment of the comprehensive and