Slowing ships cuts pollution near ports by more than half, study finds

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It takes a speed reduction of just 10 to 15 miles per hour to cut emissions from ships dramatically, according to new research. And to do so near land would cut smog and improve the health of those living in port cities. The trouble, writes this US-focused article, is that few ports have signed up to a scheme requiring vessels to slow down within 40 nautical miles of a port. Given that the shipping industry is not part of the Kyoto Protocol. and that the IMO has not set a cap on greenhouse gas emissions, this could be an effective, albeit small, step in the right direction.