Cruise ship traffic a threat to Arctic waters, U.S. expert warns

Source: CBC.ca
Summary:
Walter Nadolny, an associate professor in marine transportation at the State University of New York's Maritime College, has called for eastern Arctic waterways to be protected from a growing influx of cruise ship traffic, which has jumped from 50 ships in 2004 to 250 ships in 2007, with the most increases in Nunavut and Greenland. With even more cruise ships expected this summer, Nadolny said, he's worried about what those vessels may be bringing with them, including invasive foreign marine species and ship emissions that could harm fragile Arctic areas. The problems include "oil emissions from bilge water, sewage emissions from sewage treatment plants, [and] ballast emissions as far as conveying invasive species up here from other areas in the world, which to me is a huge threat that nobody sees right now," Nadolny told CBC News at a symposium in Iqaluit this week on adapting to climate change.

Demands for Greek safety probe after LPG carrier blast kills eight.

Source: Lloyd's List
Summary:
Greece has launched an investigation into a fatal blast on board the liquefied petroleum gas carrier 4,965 dwt Friendshipgas, which killed eight men, but workers are calling for a wider probe into shipyard safety standards at the country’s crowded Perama shiprepair zone. The 1981-built liquid petroleum gas carrier of 5,667m³, had been under repair in Perama, about 12 miles west of Athens, on Thursday afternoon when a fire started.