By Teri Shore Bluewater Network

I started riding the ferry again after joining Bluewater Network. I usually board at Jack London Square to make the short leisurely cruise to San Francisco, but today I rode from Larkspur. It all depends whether I’m coming from home in the North Bay or from my friend’s in Oakland. Other times, I take the bus. The ferry is more pleasant, by far. From the ferry, the hillsides and skylines of the Bay environment form an incredible arena that is familiar and always amazing.

It wasn’t until I joined Bluewater that I learned that the comfortable and seemingly benign ferries are not as environmentally friendly as I thought. The current marine diesel engines that power our beloved ferries contribute significantly to air pollution. Marine diesel engines, like other diesels, emit cancer-causing toxins, smog-forming compounds and greenhouse gases. In fact, fine particles in diesel fumes contribute directly to increased cancer risks, according to the California Air Resources Board.

A recent study by U. S. Maritime Administration found that ferries emit more ozone-forming gases and soot per passenger mile than cars and buses. That’s mainly because cars are 95 percent cleaner than they were 30 years ago. And modern diesel transit buses and trucks pollute much less than in the past.

Both cars and buses must meet strict air quality standards. But ferry engines have not been required to meet such air quality standards. The first emissions reductions for new ferry-sized marine engines will be phased in beginning in 2004. But even then, marine diesel emissions will probably increase over the next several years due to growth in marine transport and the long lives of marine engines, according to researchers from Carnegie Mellon University.

So should I feel guilty about riding the ferry? Not really, now that alternative fuels, technologies and designs can help make ferries more environmentally. Leaving the car at home is a good thing. Plus, today, only 12 ferries ply the Bay. But there are plans to build more and they need to be much cleaner than the current vessels.

Just last week, the designer of the world’s first solar-and-wind powered ferry visited San Francisco Bay. Robert Dane, and his associate, Ian Noakes, of Solar Sailor put the futuristic ferry on Sydney Harbor in their home country of Australia. San Francisco Bay could be next.

The Sydney solar ferry is about 75 feet long and carries about 100 passengers. Futuristic wings covered in thin aerodynamic solar panels capture the wind and sun. When under wind and solar power alone, the ferry travels up to about 8 knots without polluting the air or water. Solar energy is stored in the batteries that power the electric motors that drive the vessel.

When the batteries run low or there is no wind or not enough sunlight, a back-up generator powered by liquid propane gas runs the ferry and increases the potential speed to about 12 knots. All air emissions generated by burning liquid propane are much lower than diesel.

San Francisco Bay is the perfect place for the first Solar Sailor ferry in the U. S. A larger-scale version of the Sydney ferry could make the perfect vessel for the short, internationally known ferry run from San Francisco to Alcatraz. The greater Bay Area is already known for its scenic port, high-tech know-how and environmental leadership. Why not for a new generation of ferries?

This Alcatraz run is managed by the Golden Gate National Recreational Area, making it a public asset. With public support and funding, a pilot project on this route would provide a model for other ferry operators in the Bay Area and around the U. S.

Ferry systems are expanding in an effort to relieve the traffic nightmares that occur every day on the nation’s highways. By enlarging the fleet with ferries that don’t pollute, we can help address transport problems without increasing air pollution. Putting a solar-and-wind powered ferry on San Francisco Bay could be the first step. And we ferry commuters would not have to feel the least bit guilty for riding.