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We are doing everything we can to be as green as possible!
- We will run our engines on Bio-diesel, greatly reducing toxic exhaust and pollution.
- We teach and use no trace camping. Pack out all trash. Minimize trash and disposable items on board ship by using reusable containers: water containers; shopping bags; storage containers. We buy in bulk and minimize purchases with excessive packaging.
- We recycle.
- All our wood is from Northwest sources minimizing fuel used for transportation. The Vikings used local wood and materials to build their ships, mostly because they had to. We are using local materials by choice in keeping with the Viking way and for the benefit of the environment.
- The 70 Oak crooks being used for frames and deck beams were salvaged from unused parts of cut down oak trees. These crooks would would have been chipped up, burned or otherwise discarded if we had not used them. The loggers were so excited to help us salvage these crooks because of how we are using them in the Viking ship, because they are tired of seeing them being discarded, and because they will help youth for decades to come.
- Caulking will be natural materials, the same that the Vikings used 1000 years ago, rather than toxic chemicals from plastic tubes.
- We teach our participants about their impact on the environment. We carry everything with us, even our waste, so we get to see the results of what we use. The ship is a closed system and is a great teacher for our participants in regards to understanding how waste cycles and our impact on the environment work.
- We clean up beaches and perform other environmental service projects as part of our programs.
- We sail and row as much as possible to minimize fuel consumption.
- Viking ships are highly efficient and light weight. They also carry a lot of people for their size so we use less fuel than other vessels with a similar number of participants.
- Our programs include environmental education about marine life, endangered species, marine and land ecologies, and the "web of life". This educational focus helps to shape young people who will go on to a life of increased environmental awareness, and a dedication to their roles as environmental stewards. Because so much of our programming stresses leadership development among these young participants, we believe that our program graduates are likely to become leaders in the move toward environmental sustainability.
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