Andy Willner, former NY/NJ Baykeeper and now a consultant in Keyport, described Hope and Alert, fossil fuel-free coastal cargo ships that are powered by a combination of conventional soft sails and bio-fuel marine engines. As Coast Guard inspected vessels, they will be capable of carrying cargo and passengers along the Atlantic coast while minimizing their environmental impact.

The benefits of these ships are significant:

• They will be built locally and manned by US crews.
• They will provide vital emission-free carbon neutral trading link for short sea shipping.
• They will act as a laboratory for innovation and competitiveness.
• They will be commercially competitive with conventional oil-powered vessels.
• They will operate on reliable schedules and offer attractive freight rates.

The ships and the opportunities they present will put flesh and bones on the trilogy of concepts - cradle-to-cradle, waste equals food and energy, and staying within current solar income - that support the basic tenets of the greening of industry and elimination of pollution, waste, and toxins.