Page 46 of Rival Hearts

Environmental innovations in the luxury yacht industry

Reducing carbon footprint of luxury yachts

Information started coming up that I hadn’t looked at before. I researched and read until the sun came up, casting a silver light into my apartment that slowly warmed as the world woke up.

When it was a reasonable time to make calls, I picked up my phone and dialed Victoria Morgan’s number.

“Are you still in town?” I asked.

“I am,” she said. “I’ll drive back later this afternoon. Is everything alright?”

“Can we meet for breakfast or something?”

Victoria agreed, and an hour later, I met her at a local restaurant with a great breakfast menu.

Victoria Morgan was regal as always when she arrived. She wore a pleated skirt and a white blouse, her gray hair perfectly styled, and her jewelry was tasteful without being overly extravagant.

We made small talk, discussing the success of the campaign in general while we waited for our coffee and food.

“What’s on your mind?” Victoria asked when we each had our plates in front of us. I’d ordered eggs and bacon with toast. Victoria had opted for a granola and yogurt health special.

“I did a bit of research about the yacht companies I’m trying to target in this campaign, and I’m confused.”

Victoria nodded, encouraging me to keep going.

“I can’t help but notice that there’s a discrepancy between what I thought was going on at first and the reality that I’m starting to uncover.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… I found a bunch of articles and reports that highlight the efforts of certain yacht manufacturers to implement sustainable practices. They seem to be engaged in doing the right thing, aimed at reducing their environmental impact, and some are even working with organizations dedicated to ocean conservation.”

Victoria sipped her coffee. “Yes, there are those already on the right path.”

I bit off a piece of toast and chewed.

“I just… I feel stupid.”

“Why?” Victoria asked, surprised.

“Well, I thought it was simple—activists against yacht manufacturers. Black and white, right? But I’m starting to think it’s not that straightforward.”

“There are gray areas with everything, Charlotte.”

“Do you think the campaign is worthless?”

Victoria lowered her cup and studied me.

“If I thought your campaign was worthless, I wouldn’t have put money into it. I know what you’re trying to do, and it’s admirable, and we’re a long way away from being completely eco-friendly. It’s important that we keep bringing awareness to it.”

I sighed. “I just thought it was a campaign that had a beginning and an end. If I succeeded, then we win and things would change.”

“If only it were that simple. Sadly, it’s not how these things work. It’s a continuous fight to make a difference, and there’s never a point where you can say, ‘This is it, we’ve done it’.”

I pushed my bacon around on my plate, turning her words over in my mind.

“That’s pretty… awful.”

Victoria didn’t answer. She took another bite of her granola, drizzled with honey, and watched me as she chewed.