More and more boaters going green
The United States has been regulating fuel economy and emissions in cars and trucks for decades but got a late start addressing similar issues with boats. In 1996, though, recognizing a growing problem of boat engine pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency issued new rules to “bring forth a new generation of marine engines featuring cleaner technology and providing better engine performance to boat owners.”
Even small quantities of fuel and exhaust discharged by boats can disrupt the balance of nutrients, oxygen, and clean water in both freshwater and marine ecosystems. Indeed, the cumulative effect of millions of inefficient motorboats plying our waterways has been devastating to marine life and our water supplies. Under the new EPA regulations, which will be phased in over the next 30 years, new marine engines will burn gas much more efficiently and generate much less pollution than most models out on the water today.
I think this is a really good start but we need to do more. Much more.