Q&A with Concordia from the week ending September 27, 1996
What do you do with your garbage?...Nora S., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
by Benjamin Dunn, 9/23/96
How we dispose of our garbage is a very interesting topic. We have two kinds of garbage: plastic and everything else from orange peels to cardboard boxes. According to international law you can "feed the fish" with everything but plastic as soon as you are twenty five miles off shore. When we have garbage we throw it overboard as long as it is biodegradable. At first, it felt odd to simply through an apple core out over the rail but now it feels quite natural. There is no doubt that when we get back home our lawn will be constantly re-fertilized with our garbage just out of force of habit. As for the plastic garbage, it gets cleaned and stowed in the stern. When we arrive in port we make arrangements with port officials to have it removed.
Coming into port is always an exciting and busy time for the crew of the Concordia. The anticipation of visiting a new port in a different country and experiencing a new cultures can be overwhelming at times. We have just arrived in the Galapagos Islands and many exciting activities have been planned. We will visit the Darwin Research Center and will have the opportunity to see the giant tortoises. A day of swimming in the ocean and snorkeling with sea lions is also on the agenda. The students also have some free time to experience the island on their own. Often phone calls home, a visit to the local post office and finding somewhere to do the laundry is often on the list to do. However, other important things are done when at port such as refueling and acquiring water for the ship. Can you imagine pulling up the 188 foot Concordia to a fueling station to fill up? It is a big job! Jason, our cook, also takes the opportunity when in port to buy provisions for the ship such as food, especially fresh fruit and vegetables. As you can see when we get to port it is a very exciting but busy time!
Ocean Challenge / e-mail: ocean@oceanchallenge.com / Class Afloat 1996-97
(c) 1996 Ocean Challenge, Inc.