In icy winds, CAF youth and supporters dressed as sea creatures transformed Pier 66 into a vibrant stage at “Speak for the Seas! Kids Call Out Cruise Rally” to raise awareness among those who cherish the Pacific Northwest.
Three youth leaders, Bianca, Ki’Shon, and Mona, delivered speeches in playful Suessian rhyme, captivating the crowd and media alike and turning a chilly day into a hotbed of climate advocacy. These young activists innumerated the detrimental impacts of the cruise industry, using art and performance to emphasize their message.
Organized by Seattle Cruise Control, Climate Action Families, Paw Cast Kids, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, Friends of the Earth, 350Seattle, 350Tacoma, and other community groups, with performances by the Red Rebels and the Anti-Fascist Marching Band.
As the season’s first cruise ship boarded its passengers, youth activists highlighted the cruise industry’s severe environmental and social costs, from polluting our air and water to exploiting labor and jeopardizing local communities.
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- Each season of Seattle-based Alaska cruises generates greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to one-third of Seattle’s annual output.
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- Cruise ships dump billions of gallons of toxic waste into the ocean, disrupting marine life and threatening endangered species like orcas.
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- The industry exploits workers, some of whom are paid as little as $2 an hour for grueling, non-stop shifts.
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- Destination communities suffer, facing increased rents, overwhelmed infrastructure, and environmental degradation due to the influx of tourists.
Youth activists called for immediate action from the Port of Seattle and local officials. Their demands included stricter regulations on cruise emissions, mandatory use of shore power, and a reduction in the number of sailings. These measures are essential to protect our health, environment, and future.
You can add your voice to this public outcry on August 13th at Pier 69, when CAF joins SCC in providing testimony to the Port Commission at a public meeting.
Op-Ed in the Urbanist, by Elizabeth Burton & Cary Moon
Require cruise ships to plug into shore power while docked in Seattle, by Seattle Times Editorial Board
