A MORAL ISSUE AT THE VATICAN, SOMETHING THAT POPE FRANCIS HAS ALSO EXPRESSED. >>> WHEN IT COMES TO CUTTING DOWN ON POLLUTION, THERE'S A TYPE OF POLLUTION THAT'S OFTEN OVERLOOKED, BUT HAS A HUGE IMPACT. EMISSIONS FROM PORTS. BUT ONE MAN ON A MISSION TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE IS MAKING WAVES AT THE PORT OF OAKLAND AND BEYOND WITH A DEVICE THAT'S BASICALLY A GIANT VACUUM CLEANER. >> Reporter: FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES, MIKE WALKER WORKED HIS WAY TO THE TOP OF THE TECH WORLD, EARNING A MID-SIX FIGURE SALARY AS THE CEO OF SEVERAL SUCCESSFUL START UPS. BUT EVEN THOUGH HE WAS LIVING THE DREAM, SOMETHING WAS MISSING. >> IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO FIND THE REASON YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING. >> Reporter: HIS LATEST VENTURE, STACKS, MIGHT JUST BE THE HOLY GRAIL OF BUSINESS. MAKING MONEY OUT OF THIN AIR WHILE ALSO SAVING THE PLANET. FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, MIKE AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN ON A MISSION AGAINST EMISSIONS. HIS COMPANY BUILDS GREEN BARGES LIKE THIS ONE THAT ESSENTIALLY SERVE AS GIANT VACUUM CLEANERS, CAPTURING EXHAUST FROM CONTAINER SHIPS WHILE THEY'RE BERTHED AS PORT. >> THIS IS OUR BOOM. IT'S 245 FEET. IT EXTENDS ITSELF UP AND OVER THE VESSEL WHERE A LONG ELEPHANT-LIKE TRUNK COMES DOWN, AND WE PUT THAT OVER THE TOP OF THE STACK. THAT'S WHERE THE EMISSIONS ARE GATHERED. >> Reporter: A 2020 STUDY DONE IN SPAIN SHOWED 265,000 PREMATURE DEATHS WERE ATTRIBUTED TO GLOBAL SHIPPING EMISSIONS. STATE REGULATIONS REQUIRE VESSELS TO PLUG INTO AN ELECTRICAL GRID KNOWN AS SHORE POWER, WHICH ALLOWS SHIPS TO TURN OFF THEIR ENGINES WHILE AT BERTH. BUT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE. >> ANY GIVEN YEAR WE SEE OVER 8,000 VESSEL VISITS. >> Reporter: ANGELA IS THE AIR RESOURCES SUPERVISOR AT THE CALIFORNIA AIR AND RESOURCES BOARD. SHE SAYS THE PROBLEM IS MANY OF THE SHIPS ARE TOO OLD AND DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO CONNECT TO A POWER GRID. >> WE DO SEE AS A VERY GOOD ALTERNATIVE FOR VESSELS TO USE IT IF THEY DON'T WANT TO INVEST IN SHORE POWER. >> Reporter: TODAY MIKE AND HIS TEAM ARE HELPING A VESSEL WHOSE ELECTRICAL OUTLET IS TOO FAR TO REACH. A MASSIVE BENDABLE ARM IS DEPLOYED FROM THE BARGE AND HOVERS OVER THE SHIP. AN ENGINEER THEN CONNECTS IT TO THE SMOKESTACK LIKE A GIANT RANGE HOOD. WITHIN SECONDS, THE BLACK SMOKE IS GONE. >> WE GET TO SEE IN VERY CLEAR TERMS THE SMOKE GOING AWAY FROM BEING DISTRIBUTED OUT INTO THE AIR AND BEING CAPTURED INTO THE SYSTEM. SO IT'S, IT'S A REALLY, YOU KNOW, ALMOST INSTANT GRATIFICATIO
