NEW MARITIME TECHNOLOGY COOPERATION CENTER FOR THE SOUTH PACIFIC

 SPC To Host Maritime Technology Cooperation Center In The Pacific

South Pacific Region, CIA's WORLD FACT BOOK MAPS

  

  The Pacific Community (SPC) was recently selected by the International Maritime Organization ( IMO, a United Nations affiliated organization) to host the regional Maritime Technology Cooperation Center for the Pacific Region (MITCC-Pacific) . The MTCC-Pacific is operated in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Program (SPREP). The EU supported global MTCC Network is focused on "climate mitigation" in the maritime shipping industry". Another group of climate change true believers. But some, in the South Pacific seem more inclined to traditional conservationism than militant environmentalism. 

Normally, we don't have much use for true believers in climate change but in this case we have little objection to any organization focused on reducing the carbon foot print of the ocean transport industry, despite the fact that we don't share their sense of urgency or real belief in man caused "climate change". As experienced sailors we well know that ships built in the last twenty years are at best only a little less polluting in terms of engine and generator exhaust than ships built forty years ago. Overboard discharge is much improved in more modern ships but can still stand improvement without any real danger of killing the economics of the ocean transport industry.  In short, as a general rule, most ships in commercial usage are not nearly as clean operating as readily available and economic technology can make them. Most ship owners aim at "minimum regulatory compliance" in terms of pollution control, be it air or water, and too often fail even at that level. According to their recent press release:

"The MTCC-Pacific will be a regional centre of excellence promoting a low carbon maritime transport that supports the sustainable development goals of Pacific Small Islands Developing States and Least Developed Countries."



 Some of this sounds a lot like the usual tree huger psychobabble we usually oppose, but note the  parallel goal of supporting sustainable development. This sounds an awful lot like the pre -1970s environmental movement called "CONSERVATION". We have always supported CONSERVATION which has always shown respect for the natural environment while allowing a place for mankind within the earthly environment. Admittedly we don't trust the EU generally since we view it as a clueless socialist globalist anti human organization presently hell bent on the rapid Islamification of Christian Europe. The EU's previous record in environmental activity has been far left of allowing space for human economic activity, but socialists don't like human freedom of action or belief in any sphere. 
But in this case the Pacific Island governments seem to have their heads on straight and to us it looks like they are able to take EU money and apply it to their environmental improvement and not kill their local economies. Perhaps the EU elite may learn something.



  The MTCC-Pacific will be located at the South Pacific Community Suva Campus in Fiji. Sailors we are, tree hugers we're not, socialists we're not , but we wish the South Pacific participants well in this endeavor, we do support cleaner ships and shipping and we've long thought that the nations of the South Pacific could teach the EU quite a bit about humane ordering of free societies. We trust that at the first sign that the EU is attempting to use this system to drag down the economies of the 26 nation and territory member SPC which is primarily an economic development engine that the islanders will bring the EU "know- it- alls" up short. Conservation, is not incompatible with development or a clean environment. The islanders know exactly what it is like to live and work in a limited space and having to make a living with limited resources that must be conserved for "sustained yield", another concept so often not in the vocabulary of "environmentalist. 

 Below is a link to a relevant press release, which of course doesn't contain any of our editorial comment or tendency to rant about stinking thinking globalists / socialists. Again we are pleasantly surprised to find our selves supporting at least part of an EU backed initiative far from the borders of the EU. 


Johnas P., Editor