Save the Whales was founded in 1977 by a 14-year-old, Maris Sidenstecker, and focused on educating the public, especially children, about marine mammals and the fragile ocean environment.
You more seasoned readers remember, don’t you?
That was a long time ago.
Lately, whales have been dying right on our shores in New Jersey and New York – and nobody seems to cares, least of all environmentalists. What gives?
Two sperm whales and seven humpbacks have been found off the coasts of four East Coast states in less than two months, according to federal environmental officials.
Could it be that our extreme climate agenda conflicts with the well-being of the largest mammals in the world?
It very well might.
In July, Joe Biden argued that offshore wind would create jobs and power millions of homes in the future. And the Department of Interior has expanded plans for offshore lease sales for wind development along the nation’s eastern and western coastlines and in the Gulf of Mexico.
There are currently three offshore wind projects being constructed off the coast of New York in federal waters and another four projects in federal waters off the coast of New Jersey, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Last year, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland joined New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to announce a vision for increasing offshore wind output.
Federal officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) said they were investigating the causes of the whales’ deaths but have not yet attributed them to offshore wind projects. Some believe that underwater sonar activity used as part of the windmill projects is to blame.
“NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to minimizing risks to protected resources, habitats, and managed fisheries throughout the life cycle of offshore wind energy projects,” said NOAA spokesperson Lauren Gaches.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said he became concerned when a whale washed up dead in his county and wants local officials to “pause and investigate” what’s behind the uptick in deaths.
Blakeman argued there needs to be a balance between pursuing alternative forms of energy while keeping the environment and marine life safe.
“I’m quite surprised that there aren’t more environmentalists and certainly people who are involved in protecting sea life and animals speaking out about this – and at least asking for an investigation as to whether or not there’s any causal relationship between these whales dying and the construction and the sonar that’s being used,” he explained.
NOAA says there has been an “unusual mortality event” related to humpback whales along the Atlantic Coast since January 2016.
An elevated number of whale deaths has occurred from Maine to Florida, according to the agency. Roughly 40% of the whales examined had evidence of “human interaction, either ship strike or entanglement.”
One NOAA scientist said the wind turbine projects could have “population-level effects” on whales.
Are offshore windmills responsible for whales washing up dead?
The Biden administration is facing major blowback from lawmakers, conservation groups and environmentalists for the construction of offshore wind turbines that threaten whale populations.
Activist groups like the Protect Our Coast NJ, Save Right Whales and others have voiced concerns that coastal wind turbines built amid a Biden administration push for green energy are hurting an already endangered species.
“Marine mammals (whales, porpoise, seals) are sensitive to underwater sound and are extremely vulnerable to harm during offshore wind construction. Damage to their hearing kills their ability to navigate and communicate permanently,” according to Protect Our Coast NJ website.
Even the Washington Post reported how if President Biden hopes to achieve his renewable energy goals, the undertaking would require “massive” amount of offshore wind turbines to be installed.
“Dead whales and tough economics bedevil Biden’s massive wind energy push,” the Post wrote. “Achieving the Biden administration’s target would require the installation of thousands of the machines, which will tower as high as three Statues of Liberty stacked on top of one another when their blades reach for the sky. … The blades alone can be the length of a football field.”
The Post also noted, while there is a debate over whether the turbines impact whales, many are condemning such efforts.
“We have an unprecedented amount of whales dying here at the same time there is this industrial activity taking place on a scale that has never before happened in these waters,” Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, told the Post. “Why is this not being investigated? Why are these companies getting a pass?”
Wind turbines have proven to be a controversial power source both for their visual appearance on landscapes as well as their environmental impacts.
“Where are the environmentalists? Where is the outrage? Almost a dozen dead whales have washed ashore in the New Jersey region in less than two months and there have been no investigations,” Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., wrote. “Again, all offshore wind activity must end until hearings are held.”
The GOP House Judiciary Committee tweeted, “Republicans support whales and gas stoves. Democrats support whale-killing wind farms and government-controlled kitchens.”
Maybe it’s time to save the whales – again.
“It’s time for Democrats to put whales over woke!” Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., tweeted.
Documentary filmmaker Leighton Woodhouse tweeted, “The proposed wind farm, which the Biden admin has permitted, is sited off the coast of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, right on top of the right whale’s only winter foraging ground. Hazards include ship strikes, disorienting noise pollution and the scattering of zooplankton.”
An environmentalist group, Defenders of Wildlife tweeted, “‘#RightWhales have journeyed to the Southeast since time immemorial to birth & nurse their calves in the safety of warm, shallow waters. But the calving grounds have become killing grounds,’ said Jane Davenport, our senior attorney.”
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