The Silver Nova was met by protesters in Piopiotahi/Milford Sound this morning.

Supporters of Climate Liberation Aotearoa held up flags depicting penguins, dolphins, and sea lions as they chanted “You cruise we lose” after paddling out to out to meet the ship.

“It’s obscene. Each passenger on a ship like the Silver Nova is emitting 19 times that of the average New Zealander per day. This makes a complete mockery of all the things kiwis do at home to try to reduce emissions, like turning off the lights, walking instead of taking the car, or taking shorter showers.” says Rach Andrews, Climate Liberation Aotearoa spokesperson.

Estimates reveal that per passenger a ship of this size and type produces 17.6 tonnes of CO2 on its 32 day journey [1], according to Silversea the Silver Nova aims to reduce emissions by 40% compared with their previous ship in this class. That equates to an estimated 10.56 tonnes of CO2 emissions per passenger for this journey. The average New Zealander emits 6.34 tonnes in a whole year.

“It is heartbreaking - while wildfires ravage California, these luxury cruises spew outrageous amounts of greenhouse gasses into the air. At an estimated total 7,350 tonnes of CO2, this trip by the Silver Nova will undoubtedly cause 1-2 deaths between now and 2100 due to heat related fatalities[2]. The death toll from the fires is currently 11. These seemingly innocent activities and the destruction in LA are linked because the extra heat in our atmosphere superchares the severity of disasters like these [3].

“We believe cruise ship passengers need to know the realities of the industry and its impacts. Clearly there is no place for cruise ships in a livable future.” says Rach.

Notes:

1. https://co2.myclimate.org/en/portfolios?calculation\_id=7664013

2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-24487-w

3. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/10/climate/california-fires-climate-change-disasters.html

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