Did you know that the world’s 16 largest ships produce as much emissions as all the cars in the world? Since Jorne Langelaan spoke at TEDxAmsterdam 2010 we know what to do: stop using engines and start using sails. Jorne told Tim how things are with FairTransport, one of five ideas supported by Ideas Worth Doing.
It wasn’t easy to reach Jorne because at this very moment he’s sailing the Tres Hombres, a cargo ship using wind as it’s only fuel. When Jorne answered my questions he just arrived in Porto, where the ship will host an event about sustainability in Portugal.
Jorne at TEDxAmsterdam 2010 Photo by Jan-Jaap Heine
Overwhelming milestone
Jorne’s enthousiasm about (speaking at) TEDxAmsterdam 2010 made me look forward even more to this year’s event. Jorne: “For me TEDxAmsterdam 2010 was a milestone in the recognition of the importance of sustainable transport. I enjoyed bringing my message across to such a big audience and I got overwhelmed by all the great reactions. People were inspired and really wanted to help. But what overwhelmed me even more was the entire spirit of the day; everybody there was striving for a better world.”
The Tres Hombres isn’t the only project Jorne and FairTransport are working on. The Ecoliner, a ship with sails AND an engine, could very well be the future of cargo shipping. When it’s windy the sails are out and the Ecoliner emits nothing. When there’s no wind the engine is turned on and the Ecoliner can still deliver it’s cargo in time. Not only does the ship produce less emissions, in the long run it’s also cheaper as less money needs to be spent on oil and wind is free.
From Amsterdam to Fryslân
This idea is not only picked up by TEDxAmsterdam, and supported through Ideas Worth Doing, the province of Fryslân also actively backs this idea. Because of this support the Ecoliner will be ready for sail soon. Jorne: “The business plan is as good as done and we’re working very hard on the technical design. The next step is financing the project, but with the logic of this concept that can’t be a problem.”
Jorne does however make one remark: “Because of the ecological and financial problems we are facing and with the scarcity of fossil fuels it is possible that the current economic system will stop to exist. If that happens, a project like the ecoliner could be too large and too high tech and we’ll have to go back to smaller and more traditional techniques, like we do with the Tres Hombres.” To prevent this from happening one Ecoliner will not be enough: “That’s why we’re also trying to spread our knowledge about the Ecoliner. To make any difference we’ll need over 300 Ecoliners in five years from now.”
How does this affect me?
All right Jorne, you got our attention. What can we do? “Try to imagine what would happen if we’re out of cheap oil to ship cargo around the world. We need to watch what we’re shipping. Buy as much locally produced products as you can and only transport those things that really need to be moved.” Anything else? “To accelerate a future with sustainable transport, buy our rum, get shares in the Tres Hombres, use the Tres Hombres to ship your cargo around the world and donate to FairTransport.” Will do!
Further Reading:
• Watch Jorne’s talk at TEDxAmsterdam 2010
• Go to Marinetraffic.com or Jorne’s blog (partly in Dutch) and see where the Tres Hombres is at the moment you’re reading this
• Watch the video: Fairtransport, a new way of green cargo
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