Green Keels :the key factors

[greenkeels]

Scenario: If an owner ask you to design the greenest (less emissions) super yacht of all time, which would be the first/most important factor you would consider? Water resistence? Air resistence? Energy optimization?Propulsion? We need to know your scale of values! Please take a second to vote it in our new poll at www.eco-yachts.com (http://www.eco-yachts.com) thanks

[gonzo]

Green superyacht is an oxymoron. In reality they are asking to add some green, politically acceptable window dressing. You should ask what kind of social statement he or she wants to make and take it from there.

[marshmat]

Bingo, Gonzo.

Client wants to make a statement about solar power? Build a big cat and cover it with PV panels.

Client wants to make it look like he's concerned about fossil fuels? Load up on fuel processing and cleaning equipment for biofuels.

Client wants something that is actually less destructive and less wasteful than the usual superyacht? Find him something smaller and cheaper. Or tell him to charter the presidential suite of a normal cruise ship for the 3 weeks of the year he's actually going to go cruising. You can dress a yacht up all you like, "greenwash" it if you will, but actually making a difference means changing the whole attitude and mindset regarding how the client's life and businesses are run. It is a rare problem, indeed, that can be solved simply by throwing more technology at it without considering the larger picture.

[barrynelson]

A Viking warship. It's constructed almost entirely of hand gathered solar energy known as wood. It has no embeded energy costs except for smelting a few pieces of iron for fittings. It's solar powered in the form of wind or alternately a few herrings for the rowers. They were, I believe, up to 90' long & faster than snot.

The best part: The immagery perfectly suits the type of characters who want these most un-green of all of things. Unfortunatly, the wives would hate it.

[gonzo]

I thought Vikings left the wives at home to go pillaging.

[barrynelson]

The wives must have been of a different type than the current breed, otherwise: How could they have colonized Iceland, Greenland & Newfoundland?

[yipster]

http://troubledscience.com/images/Hagar-Does-Too.jpg

[narwhal]

Bingo, Gonzo.

Client wants to make a statement about solar power? Build a big cat and cover it with PV panels.

Client wants to make it look like he's concerned about fossil fuels? Load up on fuel processing and cleaning equipment for biofuels.

Client wants something that is actually less destructive and less wasteful than the usual superyacht? Find him something smaller and cheaper. Or tell him to charter the presidential suite of a normal cruise ship for the 3 weeks of the year he's actually going to go cruising. You can dress a yacht up all you like, "greenwash" it if you will, but actually making a difference means changing the whole attitude and mindset regarding how the client's life and businesses are run. It is a rare problem, indeed, that can be solved simply by throwing more technology at it without considering the larger picture.


You might Google "Al Gore" and "Bio Solar One", his greenish houseboat....

[barrynelson]

Who can come up with the best term for those who are science challenged but would spin themselves into a pseudo-moral highground on the perceptions of human induced climate change:*

A few of mine;

Greenholes
Greensticks
Greendumbs
Greenslicks
Greedons
Greenkeypointers
Cutting-edge green managers
World class greens
Magazinegreens

Who knows? A herring for the winner!

Just to set the record straight: Human induced climate change is actually a real problem, rather than a perceptual one.

Cheers Barry

[wardd]

Just to set the record straight: Human induced climate change is actually a real problem, rather than a perceptual one.

Cheers Barry

its only a problem if you like to breath

[gonzo]

As long as superyachts have gold foiled windows with good insulation we are safe.

[Willallison]

Green superyacht is an oxymoron. In reality they are asking to add some green, politically acceptable window dressing. You should ask what kind of social statement he or she wants to make and take it from there.

I too vote with Gonzo...

[TeddyDiver]

The wives must have been of a different type than the current breed, otherwise: How could they have colonized Iceland, Greenland & Newfoundland?
The wives were (and still are) graters.. to colonies they looted stunners ;)

[gonzo]

So the whole Viking exploration thing was just to hide the misstreses away?