I was watching a Skinner video this morning, and as usual, he managed to uncover something alarming. He pointed out that he could hear the pounding of the windmill being pile-driven, even though it was over 12 miles away. This intrusion on our marine life is happening far from shore, yet the noise is still reaching us.
The **Revolution Wind** project, currently under development about 12 miles off the northeast coast and 12 miles southwest of Aquinnah near Martha's Vineyard, is a major concern. With up to 65 turbines planned, the project, led by Ørsted and Eversource, aims to generate 704 megawatts of power to supply Rhode Island and Connecticut. But at what cost? The decision to use pile driving, instead of a more environmentally friendly cement base, was clearly made to cut costs, without considering the devastating impact on marine life.
If we can hear and feel the pounding from this distance, imagine the effects closer to the site. What is this doing to the fish, the whales, and the entire marine environment? We already know that fish like fluke, which live on the ocean floor, could be avoiding their usual habitats because of the vibrations shaking the sand beneath them. Could this be why we're seeing more fluke in the bays, following the bait that's been driven away from its usual spots?
The truth is, we have no idea what long-term effects this kind of construction will have on our marine environment. This has never been done here before, and anyone who claims to know the impact is simply not being truthful. The risk to our oceans is too great to ignore.
The **Revolution Wind** project, currently under development about 12 miles off the northeast coast and 12 miles southwest of Aquinnah near Martha's Vineyard, is a major concern. With up to 65 turbines planned, the project, led by Ørsted and Eversource, aims to generate 704 megawatts of power to supply Rhode Island and Connecticut. But at what cost? The decision to use pile driving, instead of a more environmentally friendly cement base, was clearly made to cut costs, without considering the devastating impact on marine life.
If we can hear and feel the pounding from this distance, imagine the effects closer to the site. What is this doing to the fish, the whales, and the entire marine environment? We already know that fish like fluke, which live on the ocean floor, could be avoiding their usual habitats because of the vibrations shaking the sand beneath them. Could this be why we're seeing more fluke in the bays, following the bait that's been driven away from its usual spots?
The truth is, we have no idea what long-term effects this kind of construction will have on our marine environment. This has never been done here before, and anyone who claims to know the impact is simply not being truthful. The risk to our oceans is too great to ignore.
