Earthrace could go whale hunter hunting
The Earthrace biodiesel boat made headlines last year during an around-the-world trip using biodiesel - it wasn't an easy journey. The ship's future could also be fraught with difficulty. The Earthrace website says the boat is for sale with an asking price of $1.5 million but we hear reports that the boat may soon find another life as part of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society fleet hunting down whale hunting ships in Antarctica. In fact, it's the Sea Shepherd group that might purchase the boat, and the ship's owner likes the idea. "I would like to see it go to someone whose heart is in the right place. Sea Shepherd would be the perfect ending to this," he told Stuff.co.nz. The fast Earthrace boat could be used as a "strike vessel" to hassle whaling ships while the group's slower Steve Irwin vessel brings up the rear.
Gallery: Earthrace Biodiesel-powered boat
[Source: Stuff.co.nz, Ecorazzi]
Photo by Martin Pettitt. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Nick 6:47PM (4/25/2009)
They should put cannons on it to sink the whalers and the damn bastards on it.
Id be happy to see all Whalers on the bottom of the ocean.
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Tohe 7:25PM (4/25/2009)
...and a plank Arg!
Noz 7:30PM (4/26/2009)
I agree!!
And also sink the f*kers who throw crap overboard and have created the huge plastic soup in the middle of the Pacific...it's getting REALLY REALLY bad.
david 5:48AM (4/26/2009)
I fuckin hate whaling and think this would be a great use for this boat. I love sea shepherd and have been following them for a number of years. Go captian Watson! http://www.seashepherd.org
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ziv 10:06AM (5/06/2009)
I despise whaling, but after watching the series about Sea Shepherd, I came away with the feeling that they are an ignorant bunch of wannabe's that don't know shit about sailing. And the good Captain? His leadership skills are abysmal, and his actions were clearly illegal, but that would be worthwhile if his goals were met. The fact that the Japanese whaling companies haven't sued for damages proves that the Japanese know they can't win a case, but Watson bumbles and gives interviews, and the Japanese kill more whales. Illegally bombarding another ship with crap then boarding it... Both the Steve Irwin and the Farley Mowat have unintentionally rammed other ships, the Yushin Maru 2 and a Canadian Coast Guard vessel respectively. The Mowat also apparently intentionally rammed the Oriental Bluebird. (And it is rather ironic that the first ship is named after an environmentalist that made shit up about wolves in an attempt to do the right thing, keeping wolves from getting culled)
I wish Steve Irwin had not only sailed with the anti Whaling ship, I wish that he had commanded it. Watson looks like a pedophile and handles his crew and his ship like a drunken lubber.
David 2:50PM (4/27/2009)
You keep talking about breaking the law. You seem absolutely obsessed with it. I ask you once again where are the criminal convictions in a court of law? There has not been any criminal charges let alone convictions levied against sea shepherd. If somebody robbed a bank and you actively intervened to stop the offence would you classify this as a criminal action (remember sea shepherd have never been found guilty of injuring anyone)? Weather you like it or not sea shepherd operate in accordance with the United Nations charter for nature. If what they are doing is illegal, I ask again why have no criminal charges been levied against sea Shepherd?
As for Ziv you say “Watson looks like a pedophile and handles his crew and his ship like a drunken lubber.” I won’t even bother to argue with such childish comments.
Captain Paul Watson is an extremely capable seaman who has spent all his life on the sea. Previously he worked as a Canadian cost guard. If you talk of incompetence at sea you should be laying criticism at the Japanese whalers who in the last 5 years have
1) Run into pack ice and damaged their ship
2) Had a fire on their vessel leading to the death of one person
3) Just last year they had a whaler jump overboard and commit suicide
I ask you Ziv where is your evidence that Captain Paul Watson is incompetent? In more than 30 years Sea shepherd has never had a fatality or serious accident. Just contrast that with the Japanese whalers who have had many accidents and fatalities over the years.
Aimless6 2:58AM (4/26/2009)
After that they will lease it to the Somalians, to raid oil tankers.
Pirates and violent environmentalists. Two sides of the same coin.
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david 5:53AM (4/26/2009)
I hope you are not implying that sea shepherd are a violent organization, if so what evidence do you have for this? Sea shepherd have never been convicted of any crime anywhere in the world. They operate in accordance with the United Nations charter for nature which legally allows non governmental organizations to intervene in order to enforce international conservation law.
Mark 1:59PM (4/26/2009)
Aimless such a good name it does describe your posting here. Anyway what is your alternative for saving the earth and the other life upon it? I am all ears.
Noz 7:31PM (4/26/2009)
Corporations have been raping this planet for decades...how come you don't call them violent?
Aimless6 1:36PM (4/26/2009)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_b_IYQMSvM
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Nick 3:13PM (4/26/2009)
Japan is breaking U.S. and international laws. It is illegal to hunt whales, but they still do it. If our govt is too busy to act, someone needs to step in and make them stop.
Breaking the law is a crime, they should expect to pay the price.
GoodCheer 3:58PM (4/26/2009)
Nick: Deliberately causing a collision at sea is also a violation of international law. What you are advocating is international, high-stakes vigilantism. Think for a moment about the political implications of defending destruction of property and public endangerment -by individuals- as retaliation for whatever crime you feel is important.
Nick 2:05AM (4/27/2009)
The Japanese crew has fired gunshots at the Sea Shepherd crew and injured some.
These guys are begging for it, and they really deserve to get their arses kicked.
david 5:00PM (4/26/2009)
Aimless6 what you have posted is a youtube video shot by the Japanese propaganda machine. What is your point to this? Are you suggesting that sea shepherd have engaged in unlawful activity? If so I ask you where are the criminal charges against sea shepherd? In nearly 30 years sea shepherd has never been convicted of a criminal offence anywhere in the world. You are also very selective in your posting as you fail to post videos of Japanese coast guards firing live ammunition at sea shepherd, as well as the Japanese whalers ramming sea shepherd. Just last year there was an inquiry after a ramming incident on the high seas and the Australian federal police concluded that the Japanese whalers rammed sea shepherd. The Japanese whalers are also in breach of the antartic treaty as they fuel while in environmental protected areas, and also place armed personal in the Antarctic area. They are also in breach of a recent Australian court order, as well as various conventions on endangered species. Last year the Japanese whalers were also bared from Indonesia when they tried to have their boat repaired. In contrast no court order has been levied against sea shepherd or have they been convicted of any criminal actions. I ask again where is your evidence that sea shepherd acts outside the law? Where are the criminal charges in more than 30 years?
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Mark 5:32PM (4/26/2009)
David save your breath, meaningful debate or information is wasted on people like aimless as they just wish to tar all who care about the environment with the same brush. I don't know if he is some blind supporter of the oil industry or some useless fanatic who disagrees with everyone.
Lamont Cranston 8:55PM (4/29/2009)
And what is the biodiesel made out of? Grains previously sold as food in the third world?
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GoodCheer 7:32PM (4/26/2009)
"Aimless6 what you have posted is a youtube video shot by the Japanese propaganda machine."
What is your point David? Are you suggesting that that footage is doctored? I see no evidence of that. The same event was recorded by two cameras on two ships, and the two seems to be entirely consistent. That would take quite a bit of work to fabricate.
Are you suggesting that it's OK to break the law if someone else did it first?
Honestly, I'm not quite following your argument.
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Nick 2:08AM (4/27/2009)
@GoodCheer,
I get your point, so what do you suggest?
What is your solution? If you have a better plan to stop whaling then share it with us. Obviously asking the Japanese politely does not lead to anywhere. Are you saying it's better not to get violent and just let them kill off endangered species?
In the meantime, an acquaintance just came back from Japan and said she ate 'whale sushi'.
Noz 7:34PM (4/26/2009)
Sorry to say but we don't enough time to sit around and change the process like pansies. When a corporation like Scott goes and destroys vast amounts of virgin ancient forest so people like Aimless can have a soft ass when wiping, you better believe going and lobbying isn't going to do a damned thing. If it did, we'd not be sitting here talking about how corporations are going and destroying our ecosystem for soap, toilet paper, and stupid plastic packaged products. Obviously it's not working.
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