When I was on vacation, at Crater Lake National Park, I noticed that Xanterra, the concessionaire in many parks, has a boat that rides around the lake every two hours, including visiting Wizard and Spirit islands.
I inquired of a National Park Service ranger, and he said it’s powered by an ordinary gasoline engine. I then asked if, compared to one that might have an electric motor, he weren’t worried about environmental problems, as Crater Lake has no inlets nor outlets and is refreshed solely by precipitation, with the clarity and purity of its water world-renowned among both tourists and the scientific and professional nature and environment community.
He admitted he, personally, at least did have some concern, but said, in not so many words, that the Park Service was in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” position as far as removing the boat entirely, and he didn’t have any information on what it would cost Xanterra to replace either motor or entire boat with an electric one, and whether or not it would do that.
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