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On June 7, sailors will return to Portland. So will the gases they belch.
Yes, we’re talking about carbon emissions—the dirty little secret of Fleet Week. This year, Portland is set to welcome the largest fleet of military ships since 2015. That’s 10 ships from the U.S Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy, arriving in the Portland Harbor from ports in Oregon, Alaska, Vancouver, B.C., and likely San Diego.
Altogether, the 10 vessels will release 3,923 tons of carbon into the atmosphere on their two-week voyages to Portland. (That includes trips from home ports and back, as well as their moorage in the Willamette River.) That’s the same amount released by 773 cars in a year.
Emissions for active vessels are not easy to calculate given that the Navy and other authorities are not eager to give away many details surrounding them—including the names of the destroyers arriving in Portland this weekend. But we calculated the figure by piecing together information about each ship’s fuel type, fuel capacity, and emissions per gallon of military fuel.
We also estimated the social cost of the sailors’ holiday. The “social cost of carbon,” originally proposed by climate researchers in 2007, estimates the damage caused by emitting one additional ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. (Each ton does $185 damage to the planet, according to a recently updated estimate published in Nature.)
This year’s Fleet Week in Portland alone is set to cost the humans living on this planet approximately $726,000 That is just taking into consideration Portland Fleet Week. Seven other similar events are scheduled for 2023 in cities likely to attract as many ships as the Rose City.
Here are the ships in Portland for Fleet Week, and what they will emit.
USCGC Elm
Coast Guard
Type: Juniper-class seagoing buoy tender
Arriving from: Astoria
CO2 emissions estimate: 21.44 tons
Equivalent CO2 emissions: 4 cars in a year
Social cost of carbon: $3,966.77
USCGC Orcas
Coast Guard
Type: Island-class cutter
Arriving from: Coos Bay
CO2 emissions estimate: 62.48 tons
Equivalent CO2 emissions: 12 cars in a year
Social cost of carbon: $11,557.97
USCGC Bailey T. Barco
Coast Guard
Type: Sentinel-class cutter
Arriving from: Ketchikan, Alaska
CO2 emissions estimate: 128.52 tons
Equivalent CO2 emissions: 25 cars in a year
Social cost of carbon: $23,775.88
USCGC Bluebell
Coast Guard
Type: Inland buoy tender
Home port: Portland
CO2 emissions estimate: N/A
Equivalent CO2 emissions: N/A
Social cost of carbon: $0
HMCS Nanaimo
Royal Canadian Navy
Type: Kingston-class defence vessel
Arriving from: Vancouver, B.C.
CO2 emissions estimate: 317.71 tons
Equivalent CO2 emissions: 63 cars in a year
Social cost of carbon: $58,776.17
HMCS Yellowknife
Royal Canadian Navy
Type: Kingston-class defence vessel
Arriving from: Vancouver, B.C.
CO2 emissions estimate: 317.71 tons
Equivalent CO2 emissions: 63 cars in a year
Social cost of carbon: $58,776.17
HMCS Edmonton
Type: Kingston-class defence vessel
Arriving from: Vancouver, B.C.
CO2 emissions estimate: 317.71 tons
Equivalent CO2 emissions: 63 cars in a year
Social cost of carbon: $58,776.17
U.S. Navy ships and home port, based on previous attendees:
U.S. Navy Vessel #1 likely similar to USS Pinckney
Type: Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Arriving from: San Diego
CO2 emissions estimate: 839 tons
Equivalent CO2 emissions: 165 cars in a year
Social cost of carbon: $155,215.77
U.S. Navy Vessel #2 likely similar to USS Pinckney
Type: Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Arriving from: San Diego
CO2 emissions estimate: 839 tons
Equivalent CO2 emissions: 165 cars in a year
Social cost of carbon: $155,215.77
U.S. Navy Vessel #3 likely similar to USS Coronado
Type: Littoral combat ship
Arriving from: San Diego
CO2 emissions estimate: 1,079.35 tons
Equivalent CO2 emissions: 213 cars in a year
Social cost of carbon: $199,680.33