by Przemysław Myszka
Were we shocked by the Kremlin's aggression on Ukraine? Not that much - in the sense that nations formerly behind the Iron Curtain have first-hand experience of what might come from Moscow. And it ain't pretty. Poland and the Baltic States' historical-emotional baggage goes even further back when their nations were under St. Petersburg's thumb. The term 'understanding putin' correlated nothing but bad news. As sadly evidenced by the recent events.
What, in turn, shocked us as emphatic beings is that a deranged, unrestrained lunatic has put fire to our neighbour's house, butchering their dwellers. I salute the brave defenders of Ukraine and all their friends near and far, who stand united and support the effort. We are on the right side of history.
We are scrutinising the topic from a transport angle - how the Russian aggression has impacted the world of transport & logistics. History is in the making, so new facts and implications come to the fore every day. We will surely update our mini-report with new intel.
Apart from that, it is your tried and trusted issue of the Baltic Transport Journal. Several reads take you through the economic, sustainability, and tech landscape of what the future has probably in store for our industry.
Specifically, we are writing about decarbonising sea shipping - sustainably and fairly. In this context, one read puts the spotlight on ammonia as a marine fuel, while another on the necessary changes to the FuelEU Maritime if it is to push the greening of shipping forward - not astern as many are concerned with the current proposal. Another facet of ships' lives is decommissioning; it can be done the green or the wrong way, as detailed in an article (luckily, an uplifting one) on recycling yards.
There is nothing like an inspiring energy efficiency read, so please enjoy the pieces on green bunkering chains and a bio-inspired anti-fouling and drag-reducing air lubrication system. Transitioning to a circular economy model is an evergreen, especially regarding logistics, so we are duly hosting a new article.
Giving Russian hydrocarbons the finger will only accelerate the electrification of Europe's economy. As such, we highlight the perils of transporting batteries and list what precautions have to be taken to lower the risks.
Other areas of the maritime sector also deserve to pay careful attention to, among others, seafarers' mental health and the condition of cranes. Both can lead to the loss of life or limb, at the same time ruining assets and operations.
Finally, to blow off some steam, the Heritage corner and Transport miscellany. The former is a tip of the hat to Greenpeace's Esperanza (a made in the Baltic ship!) for her dutiful life. With the latter, we are paying tribute to Lithuanian book smugglers, who were a real rub to Imperial Russia. There is also an entry about what made dogs wag their tails in Gdynia.
Lastly, we bow down to all the women pursuing their careers in transport & logistics. Although you are probably reading this well past 8 March, happy Women's Day nonetheless!
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