Actor Edward Norton promotes ship emission-cutting tech at the California Capitol

Chaewon Chung, The Sacramento Bee on Jan 27, 2026

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Actor and filmmaker Edward Norton visited the California Capitol on Tuesday to promote his company’s clean air technology that captures ship emissions.

Speaking with senators during a break in their regular session, Norton said Stax Engineering, where he is a founding partner, developed a system that captures ship exhaust while vessels are docked in California ports, helping the shipping industry “to eliminate their emissions that are toxifying our urban centers” and “be compliant with the air quality regulations in California.”

California’s “at‑berth” rule forces many large ships to sharply limit their emissions while they are tied up at the dock for loading or unloading. In order to cut harmful pollution, instead of keeping their engines running, ships must either plug into electricity at the dock or use approved machines that capture diesel exhaust before it reaches the air.

“We’ve been servicing container vessels, auto carriers, oil tankers in five different ports up and down the state, and worked closely with CARB and with the shipping industry,” Norton said.

According to the company’s website, Stax uses a long, crane arm that reaches up to a docked ship’s smokestacks, seals over its pipes, and directs the emissions into its equipment, where pollutants like diesel particles and nitrogen oxides are removed before the cleaned gases are released.

“Our ultimate goal is to capture 1% of the global emissions causing climate change and prevent them from getting into the atmosphere,” its mission statement reads.

On Tuesday, Norton spoke with California state senators and assembly members, including Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, and Laura Richardson, D-South Bay.

Norton is famous for film roles that include “Fight Club,” “Primal Fear” and “The Incredible Hulk.”

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