Shipping-The Bigger Picture

The Yin and Yang philosophy of the Chinese culture indicates that the pros and cons of a certain situation or opportunity are always equal in their own respective magnitudes and effects. The World chose to believe in this ancient philosophy. But the Maritime industry proves that this concept doesn’t apply in every field, at least not in the Maritime field.

If we have a deep look at the pros and cons offered by Maritime sector, you will surely notice that the pros exceed the cons. Shipping has long been the major form of transport, as well as an essential communication link connecting coastal cities, countries and continents. With more than 200 job opportunities, varying from commandeering a ship offshore to managing an entire fleet of ships onshore, the prospects are endless in this field.

Shipping doesn’t purely mean sailing. With about 60,000 ships on the ocean right now, you’ve got to have a certain group of people handling all of the work behind the scenes- the onshore crews. Thus, those not wanting to be at sea are also welcome to be a part of this maritime industry.

The maritime industry is also considered to be one of the most eco-friendly as well as cheapest modes of transport. With the seas and oceans naturally available and no maintenance required for them, it surely proves to be a boon to the industry. Sending a container from Shanghai to Le Havre (France) emits fewer greenhouse gases than the truck that takes the container further on to Lyon, which is in France itself. This fact totally justifies that the maritime services are truly eco-friendly.

Well, all said about the environmental aspects, what good does the Maritime industry do to a national economy?

Going on to the fact of Maritime services being cost saving, here’s another fact to prove it. It's less expensive to ship Scottish cod 10,000 miles away to China to be filleted and then sent back to Scotland than it is to pay Scottish personnel to do the job. Of course, this reflects mostly on the cheapness of Chinese labor, but it also shows the low costs of shipping products. In a recent study, it has been depicted that the shipping industry contributes 2% of the entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the economy of the United Kingdom (UK).

Even after reading all this, the common man is bound to ask,” What good does the Maritime Industry do to me? “

The only fitting reply is that 90% of all the things you buy at the supermarkets and shopping stores arrive via waterways. Those fast food joints that teens throng to, get all their supplies through shipping containers. Let the shipping industry just disappear for a day and watch the havoc it creates.

The maritime industry thus forms the backbone of a country. With the aviation rules stating that anything flammable cannot be allowed on flight, transport of petroleum and its by-products has to take place through the maritime industry.

Ever had a confused face when a seafarer says that, at times, he brings light and energy to a city or township? So what’s this person talking about?

Ships carry coal, natural gas, petroleum, oil, etc that are used to generate electricity and supply power.

So, let me ask you to put on your thinking caps and have a look at the bigger picture about the Maritime Industry. Soak yourself in the advantages of this field and be a part of one of the largest industries of the world.

Green Shipping

Environmental sustainability has become a central issue in the transportation and logistics sector. Unprecedented 21^st century globalization has elicited a growing concern for a greener planet. With growing merchandise trade, shipping is a mode of transport which has proven to be ecologically sustainable and safe with minimal damage to resources, natural or man made.

Maritime shipping is an environmentally friendly and efficient mode of transport. In comparison to land and air traffic, it produces fewer emissions in terms of the load and distance transported, and is substantially more energy-efficient.

Shipping is also the safest mode of transport protecting human, environment and animal life due to strict maritime laws enforceable through International Maritime Organization, (IMO). Chemical pollution, garbage and sewage dumping are all governed by international regulations put into place by the IMO. Prevention of Marine Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is an important regulation that covers these areas.

Thus shipping can maintain its reputation of being an Eco friendly mode of transportation. Maritime transportation accounts for 90% of cross-border world trade as measured by volume. The nature of water transport and its economies of scale make it the most energy efficient mode since it uses only 7% of all the energy consumed by transport activities, a figure way below its contribution to the mobility of goods.Thus being energy efficient results in shipping having less green house gas and carbon pollution.

The shipping industry worldwide takes pollution prevention seriously. In the case of oil pollution which is a major issue, the IMO has introduced measures that help ensure that the majority of oil tankers are safely built and operated. Care is taken to see that the tankers are constructed to reduce the amount of oil spilled in the event of an accident. In fact Oil spill frequencies and its resulting hazardous impact on the water ecosystems have decreased significantly over the past 20 years, particularly in the last few years, despite overall increases in oil movement

The shipping industry is committed to sustainability and is on a constant watch to include best practices in order to make shipping greener. Green Shipping practices are being adopted in every aspect of the Industry.

Adhering to Corporate Social Responsibility and Client demands, several shipping freight and service-based companies have undertaken greener solutions to maritime trade. Many vessels now use LNG instead of diesel to reduce air emissions; moreover automated engines have been employed in place of manual ones to optimize fuel efficiency. FED-EX and USPR are two such shipping container lines that use alternative fuel fleets to increase fuel productivity.

Ships are now being painted with biocide free paint and hydro-gel coating which not only keeps pollutants out of the sea but also reduces Carbon di oxide emissions, as the paint lessens resistance and saves fuel. Hence, priority for aquatic life is now on a practical agenda. (4)All this and more just goes to show that Shipping as an industry cares for the sector it works in and is focused on a greener future.

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 Significant role of Maritime in India

Half of the world would starve and other half would freeze had it not been shipping - Efthimios Mitropoulos

The maritime industry plays a very significant role in the socio-economic development of any country. The common man has limited perception and appreciation of its influence and role as an essential element in terms of our overall development. In spite of 90% trade being carried out by ships, we choose to ignore the seas. And to highlight this very same fact we give you a very fine example. Ask a person on the street if he has heard of Microsoft and surely you will get an exuberant ‘YES’.

Ask the same person if he has heard of Maersk and he will give you a straight poker face. Maersk is one of the leading shipping companies and generates revenue equivalent to Microsoft.

Both the companies are on par with each other in terms of revenue generation and so as contribution to the economy. But still, we chose to ignore the latter.

We think of the seas as a simple blue patch as we pleasantly fly over it. The sea isn’t considered as an area of work or industry. The main reason for this attitude towards the Maritime Industry is not having proper and adequate knowledge about this industry. There is a lot more to shipping than what meets the eye. It goes beyond the seas.

The food on your plate, the clothes on your back, the gas in your car, the shoes on your feet; everything has made their way on a container on a ship on the seas and oceans. Maritime is a potential source of excellent employment and career opportunities, with several million people currently working in activities and companies directly and indirectly related to oceans and seas worldwide. Our lives aren’t just associated with shipping; their dependent on shipping, totally.

Without shipping, half the world would freeze and the other half will starve because grains would not be distributed from the points of origin to the points of consumption - Efthymios Mitropoulos.

Shipping practically is the mother industry which gives rise to all other industries.

It directly provides job opportunities for the millions and indirectly for the billions.

So let’s sum it up. Shipping is:

• The greenest Industry

• The cheapest mode of transport

• High generator of revenue

• High job opportunities provider

The Maritime Awareness Program society is all out to change this way of thinking.

MAPS, has been formed with the primary objective of promoting and spreading awareness about the maritime sector. We should no longer be known to the public just for pictures of dead birds lying in a pool of oil or a ship stranded on the beach. So come ahead and be a part of this society. Share your views and lets spread awareness about this industry.