Do they think we're idiots!

Matts said:
I love whales as much as the next guy. I also love my fish finder, snow in the winter and the current shoreline configurations. This article, while sounding scientific, is nothing more than one man's guesswork. I don't see that it adds much to the conversation.

The author, who I am quite sure is not a marine biologist or whale anatomy expert, has not introduced any evidence other than coincidence. However, it seems that local whale and dolphin deaths have recently gone down from what they were just a few months ago, so what does that mean?

His assertions are also peppered with weasel words like "likely" and "potentially": "These sales must have generated a lot of activity, likely including potentially damaging sonar"
This is another way of saying that he has no idea when the sonic mapping started or whether the sonar is actually damaging or merely annoying to the whales.

"There are lots of ways this sonar blasting might cause whales to die." Or might not. Again, he has no idea.

"Simply fleeing the incredible noise could cause ship strikes or fish gear entanglements, the two leading causes of whale deaths."
The Nature article posted above suggests that the excessive noise does cause the whales to leave an area. But so what? Whales have tales. If the noise bothers them, I would expect them to leave. Later on, the author discusses how migratory these whales are. They are always moving. How this proves ship strikes and entanglements is beyond me.

"Or the whales could be deafened, increasing their chances of being struck by a ship later on." Or maybe they are not deafened. Pure speculation.

"Direct bleeding injury, like getting their ears damaged, is another known risk, possibly leading to death from infection. " Again, no proof of causation, just guessing. Have any of the dead whales been found to have burst eardrums?

My guess is loss of cold water krill and increased bunker inshore has led the whales closer to shore and closer to shipping and fishing areas - hence, the huge increase in whale watching Youtubes and TicToks
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I appreciate your opinion, but once again, I'll bring up the point that the wind industry has been permitted to kill the following:
1677951116800-png.60088

Why would they issue these permits allowing the killing of what is listed above? I read that article before posting it, and your observations are correct. But at what point does the obvious no longer become a coincidence? Does common sense ever enter the conversation?

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered large whale species in the world, with only around 300 individuals remaining. They are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act and are protected from harm, harassment, and killing.

Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), it is illegal to harm, harass, or kill any endangered or threatened species without a permit. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issues permits for incidental take, which is the unintentional harming or killing of a protected species that occurs during otherwise lawful activities, such as commercial fishing or construction. The permit is only issued if the activity's benefits outweigh the potential harm to the species.

We can't even walk a beach with piping plovers on it, yet they're building a cement pole city directly in the path of an endangered species.

I guess someone decided that the benefits of wind energy outweigh the killing of these majestic creatures.
 
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A joint study by two federal government scientific agencies and the commercial fishing industry documents numerous impacts that offshore wind power projects have on fish and marine mammals, including noise, vibration, electromagnetic fields and heat transfer that could alter the marine environment.
It comes as the offshore wind industry is poised to grow rapidly on the U.S. East Coast, where it is facing growing opposition from those who blame it for killing whales — something numerous scientific agencies say is not true.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance issued their report Wednesday after a 2 1/2-year-long study of the impacts existing offshore wind projects have on fish and marine mammals.
The goal was to solidify existing knowledge of the impacts and call for further research in many areas.
NOAA and BOEM are among agencies that say there is no link between offshore wind preparation and whale deaths. Their co-authorship of a report detailing potential negative impacts on fish and marine mammals may intensify an already highly politicized controversy.i
Asked Friday about the likelihood of this happening, NOAA spokesperson Lauren Gaches reiterated the agency's position that offshore wind is not causing the whale deaths, which remain under investigation.
“We will also continue to explore how sound, vessel, and other human activities in the marine environment impact whales and other marine mammals,” she said.
The fishing industry is concerned that fish near construction sites may be killed or chased away for prolonged periods even after the turbines are built, according to the report.
“Physical changes associated with (offshore wind) developments will affect the marine environment — and, subsequently, the species that live there — to varying degrees,” the report read. ”These include construction and operation noise and vibration, electromagnetic fields, and thermal radiation from cables, as well as secondary gear entanglement.
In an interview, Fiona Hogan, research director for the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, said: "We wanted to document what was known and not known. As far as we know, this is the first cooperatively developed report that cites all aspects of the potential interactions between fisheries and offshore wind.”
The alliance is a fishing industry group trying to improve the compatibility of offshore wind with fishing operations.
 
Although I strongly disagree with the majority of what Newsday prints, I still read it on occasion just to stay on top of where the current battle lines are drawn.

Yesterday's 2 main features on Climate Change really pushed my buttons once again. The cover and major 2 page spread was filled with all kinds of "fear mongering projections" on what "could happen" to LI i the next 10, 20 50, 100 years if we do not bow down to the "climate religion" immediately!

I acknowledge the science of meteorology has made some significant improvements int he last century. Still, with even the best computer models, the forecasts we receive for the weather patterns approaching us in the next 3-10 days are frequently off by a huge amount. But we are supposed to believe that their computer models for stuff that will happen decades in the future is "dead nuts on"!

And another common thread to all those who believe in the "climate change religion" is that no matter what happens with our weather patterns it always spells "doom and gloom" unless we help the latest politically and greedy minded people/governments move in the direction that benefits them most financially. We should forget about the fact that there are other sources of "clean energy" like natural gas or nuclear because this does not benefit the "connected class"!

Case in point was the article about the small inlet that was formed in Belport Bay during Hurricane Sandy. First we are supposed to be frightened about the rising sea levels,. Then we are thrilled at how it cleaned up the bay and brought back many challenged species, Now we are supposed to be scared again because this small inlet is filling in. It doesn't seem to matter if there is atmospheric change occurring for the better or worse, we humans are always the cause of all of these problems!

Tiese like this remind me of a classic comedy bit done by George Carlin back in 1992 on "Saving the Planet". It is often played on the radio by one of our mor popular conversative talk show hosts. Essentially Carlin is pointing out the Earth is a "self-correcting" ecosystem and there is little man can do to totally destroy it.

Am I advocating for completely unrestricted pollution and disregard of our environment? Of course not. But there seems to be far too little actual research and real long term historical trends considered when it comes to the politics of "Climate Change'.

Its sad to think how many of our citizens are so totally oblivious to the constant barrage of propaganda shoved in their faces when it comes to this issue. How people can actually believe that politicians in DC or any other government for that matter can actually change the weather is the most frightening aspect to me. I really hope we can wake up before it is too late.

Enough "Tilting at Windmills" for today!
 
captmike28 said:
Case in point was the article about the small inlet that was formed in Belport Bay during Hurricane Sandy. First we are supposed to be frightened about the rising sea levels,. Then we are thrilled at how it cleaned up the bay and brought back many challenged species, Now we are supposed to be scared again because this small inlet is filling in. It doesn't seem to matter if there is atmospheric change occurring for the better or worse, we humans are always the cause of all of these problems!
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Classic example of "Climatologists" not having a clue about geology , and the hubris of man who assumes he can control barrier beaches...
 
When people say save the Planet, they really mean mankind. Man is but a pimple on the ass of the Earth and we will be long gone while the Earth continues on. 95%? OF ALL THE SPECIES ever on the Earth are gone and homo sapiens will join that list one day. So why save anything including WHALES when destiny already has all species on the endangered list from day ONE!! The EARTH WILL CHEW US UP AND SPIT US OUT!! Then some other species will be dominant and maybe think they are something special and created by some type of superior almighty being.
 
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movetheboat said:
When people say save the Planet, they really mean mankind. Man is but a pimple on the ass of the Earth and we will be long gone while the Earth continues on. 95%? OF ALL THE SPECIES ever on the Earth are gone and homo sapiens will join that list one day. So why save anything including WHALES when destiny already has all species on the endangered list from day ONE!! The EARTH WILL CHEW US UP AND SPIT US OUT!! Then some other species will be dominant and maybe think they are something special and created by some type of superior almighty being.
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Sounds like you lifted some of the key points George Carlin was stating during his classic comedy bit. It's all good when we are trying to educate others.

Carlin was both very funny and a bit of prophet at the same time!
 
That article says a lot.

As ambitious renewable energy projects continue to expand, the environmental impact and the consequences for local towns can no longer be ignored.

One of the most significant issues arising from ocean industrialization is the threat to marine life, particularly the critically endangered Atlantic Right whales, as well as the thousands of whales and dolphins that they have already approved to be killed.

Beyond the direct impact on marine life, the development of ocean-based projects is also transforming the entire fabric of coastal communities. Many unsuspecting towns are finding themselves serving as staging points for the construction and maintenance of offshore energy installations. This sudden shift in the local landscape can lead to a multitude of challenges, including increased noise, pollution, and congestion, along with potential changes to the local economy and job market.

The more we delve into the issue, the more apparent it becomes that the industrialization of our oceans has far-reaching consequences.
 
326545148_5625118857596935_2015138973876707328_n.jpeg


This is just one of the casualties that have silently fallen to the big money of wind. Soon this once popular restaurant, complete with a marina and boat access will soon look like this:

WEB_brooklyn_equinor-e1648045702347-940x940.jpg


This is actually a very small rendition. This is what I mean by the industrialization of our oceans.
 
Commercial fisherman in the northeast are finding "coexistence" with big wind is not going to be easy.

*** Vineyard Wind is now placing boulders at the sites of the planned 62 turbines and offshore substation.
Initially, they told us only small filter stones 1 to 3 inches but now they are placing boulders at every one of the Turbine sites. We already received a report of a Rhode Island fisherman that was told not to set his gear because the boulder would destroy his net and he would not be able to get his net back up in boat within the area of the lease area known as the “compass rose.”
Say goodbye to some of our best squid and whiting grounds, with zero compensation for New York fishermen from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partnership, (created by one of Denmark’s labor pension funds- Pension Danmark,) and Avangrid.
“Through May 22, the 507' stone placing vessel FLINTSTONE will continue placing Scour Protection stones within the Lease Area at the 62 planned Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) and 1 Electrical Service Platform (ESP) foundation locations.
Placement is done in two phases, first a filter layer of stone is placed, followed by a layer of armor stone. The ongoing operation involves the FLINTSTONE working within the lease area for approximately 4 days and then returning to port to reload stones. It is expected to make 11 trips to port.”
And the prior notice only said 17 locations and filter stone only https://web.archive.org/.../www.../mariners-updates/76
How’s that for sleight of hand…
?
 

Take' authorizations prove NOAA is lying about whale deaths​


The marine science community knows this much for certain: The high-resolution geophysical (HRG) surveys used to site offshore wind turbines and transmission cabling causes harm and mortality to marine mammals. They know the intense noise of pounding thousands of monopiles deep into the seabed, along with an exponential increase of vessel traffic during construction and for maintenance afterwards will do the same—disturb, injure, and kill marine life.
Here's the proof: As of mid-March 2023, NOAA Fisheries has handed out 15 marine mammal Incidental Take Authorizations (ITAs) to offshore wind projects from NC to MA. These will allow companies to “take” 111,817 whales, dolphins and seals. The harassment, injury, and killing of marine mammals are referred to as “takes.”

The 111,817 figure is the tally of 118 “Level A” and 111,699 “Level B” takes. Level A includes permanent hearing loss and other bodily injury. Level B harassment includes behavioral disturbance (such as frightening an animal from its normal feeding area) and temporary hearing loss. A deafened whale fleeing into a shipping channel is likely a dead whale.
It is illegal to take any federally listed animal, that is, unless one applies for and is granted an ITA. An “incidental” take is defined as, “an unintentional, but not unexpected taking of a protected species.”

NOAA is in the final stages of approving an additional 1,272 Level A and 477,285 Level B takes of marine mammals for another 11 wind projects. Soon the approved ITA count will permit wind companies to disturb, injure or cause the death of 590,374 marine mammals. These figures were compiled by carefully searching 26 individual wind project ITA requests. NOAA either does not have or will not share cumulative take numbers.

The data reveals that NOAA has either granted or is in the final stages of granting Level B takes for 915 critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, of which there are only 334 remaining animals alive. Either this means NOAA and the wind companies expect repeated harassment (including recurrent hearing impairment) of numerous right whales, or they have not taken the trouble to realize they have granted more “takes” than the number of live whales who exist today.

A total of 387 A and 21,704 B takes have been or are close to being approved for whales. These numbers include the taking of five species of endangered whales. For eight dolphin species A takes total 140; B takes total 474,605. A takes total 658 for harbor porpoise; B takes total 24,122 porpoises. A takes total 205 harbor, grey, and harp seals; B takes total 68,553 seals.
The numbers of “not unexpected” harassment and injury of marine mammals are staggering.
NOAA states in its February posting of Sunrise Wind’s ITA request (NOAA-NMFS-2023-0012): “Project activities likely to result in incidental take include pile driving…and vessel-based site assessment surveys using HRG equipment.”
Still NOAA has only one answer to the question being asked by thousands of coastal residents as to whether wind companies’ recent seismic testing might be related to the highly unusual number of whale strandings: NO.
Why are they lying?
 
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