{"id":1826855,"date":"2023-01-28T07:36:53","date_gmt":"2023-01-28T12:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1826855"},"modified":"2023-01-28T07:37:57","modified_gmt":"2023-01-28T12:37:57","slug":"gabriella-hoffman-an-inconvenient-truth-for-environmentalists-offshore-wind-endangers-whales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gabriella-hoffman-an-inconvenient-truth-for-environmentalists-offshore-wind-endangers-whales\/","title":{"rendered":"Gabriella Hoffman: An Inconvenient Truth for Environmentalists: Offshore Wind Endangers Whales"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgabriella-hoffman-an-inconvenient-truth-for-environmentalists-offshore-wind-endangers-whales%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1826855&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47-->\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/b3f8d7ad-f8fe-4505-ae0d-9cb67e89dc45@news.ap_.org_.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\"   style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" id=\"isPasted\">Democracy, for once, isn\u2019t dying in darkness.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Washington Post, an outlet all-in for net-zero energy, conceded recent whale deaths off the Atlantic Coast spell doom for the Biden administration\u2019s offshore wind prospects.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cThe humpback was one of nine large whales to get stranded over six weeks on or near beaches in the Northeast, not far from where developers of hundreds of offshore wind turbines are engaged in a flurry of preconstruction activity,\u201d The publication <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2023\/01\/25\/wind-turbines-whales-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Noted<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/dead-whales-tough-economics-bedevil-170041107.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Additional<\/a>, \u201cIt&#8217;s the latest in a string of threats to a fledgling offshore wind industry that climate advocates say is central to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Surging costs from inflation and labor shortages have developers saying their projects may not be profitable. A raft of lawsuits and pending federal restrictions to protect sensitive wildlife could further add to costs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sierraclub.org\/policy\/energy\/wind-siting-advisory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sierra Club<\/a> And <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/experts\/francine-kershaw\/whale-strandings-emphasize-need-practical-solutions-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Natural Resources Defense Council<\/a>, two influential radical preservationist organizations, haven\u2019t questioned its potential harmful effects on whales. Instead, they quickly assign blame to fishermen and vessel strikes. But one unlikely skeptic is Center for Biological Diversity\u2014a group that actively targets and works to displace conservationists like lobstermen, hunters, and anglers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">&#8220;I&#8217;m skeptical that either side is correct,&#8221; Brett Hartl, director of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity is responsible for this. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/uptick-dead-whales-east-coast-sparks-intense-debate-environmentalists-offshore-wind\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Submitted<\/a> Fox News. &#8220;I saw environmental groups saying wind definitely isn&#8217;t the cause of this and then others are saying wind is definitely the cause of this. These things take a lot of time \u2013 they&#8217;re going to do autopsies and necropsies to figure it out.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Fourteen recent whale deaths\u2013namely in New Jersey\u2013have prompted calls to cease offshore wind exploration to determine if whale deaths stem from activities like underwater geotechnical testing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Unreported fact: Offshore wind leases grew between 2015 and 2016, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/national\/marine-mammal-protection\/incidental-take-authorizations-other-energy-activities-renewable\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Incidental Take Authorizations\u00a0<\/a>Companies that produce renewable energy are increasingly asking for them in order to reduce their impact on marine mammal populations. 46 ITAs for one year were used, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfact.org\/2023\/01\/23\/evidence-says-offshore-wind-development-is-killing-lots-of-whales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">You can find it here<\/a> a license for wind sites. More are likely to be approved. It&#8217;s almost a miracle.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Committee for the Constructive Tomorrow&#8217;s David Wojick attributes whale deaths due to sonar blasting. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfact.org\/2023\/01\/23\/evidence-says-offshore-wind-development-is-killing-lots-of-whales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Writing<\/a>, \u201cThere are lots of ways this sonar blasting might cause whales to die. Simply fleeing the incredible noise could cause ship strikes or fish gear entanglements, the two leading causes of whale deaths. Of the whales could be deafened, increasing their chances of being struck by a ship later on. Direct bleeding injury, like getting their ears damaged, is another known risk, possibly leading to death from infection. So there can be a big time difference between blasting and death.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">NOAA Fisheries insists that these projects have zero impact. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/new-england-mid-atlantic\/marine-life-distress\/frequent-questions-offshore-wind-and-whales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">even dedicating<\/a> a FAQ sheet to claiming there\u2019s no link \u201cbetween recent large whale mortalities and currently ongoing surveys for offshore wind development.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">This dismissive tone, however, isn\u2019t sitting well with lawmakers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Andy Harris (Republican from Maryland) strongly rebuked NOAA. <a href=\"https:\/\/harris.house.gov\/media\/press-releases\/congressman-harris-calls-moratorium-windmill-construction-following-death\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Statement<\/a>, &#8220;&#8230;I am calling for an immediate moratorium on windmill construction and related underwater geotechnical testing until it is definitively proven that this construction and testing are not the cause of the repeated whale deaths.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cNOAA has offered zero evidence that this construction, including geotechnical testing, is not the cause of death,\u201d Harris <a href=\"https:\/\/harris.house.gov\/media\/press-releases\/congressman-harris-calls-moratorium-windmill-construction-following-death\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Additional<\/a>. \u201cEven a vessel strike is still consistent with injury from seismic testing as that testing may interfere with the whale\u2019s hearing and senses &#8211; some think causing long lasting damage. We need to take the time to gather proper scientific data, act in full transparency, and not rely upon FAQ platitudes for these projects, their construction, and the impact they may have upon our environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Ben Laws from NOAA\u2019s Office of Protect Resources <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/01\/20\/us\/whale-deaths-offshore-wind-climate\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Do not hesitate<\/a> These projects do not have any impact on whales. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebaymagazine.com\/critics-blame-offshore-wind-development-for-recent-coastal-whale-deaths\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According<\/a> According to Chesapeake Bay Magazine he believes that offshore wind can cause harm to whales through harassment of Level A and B. The former applies to whale injuries, while the latter encompasses behavioral disturbances to whales \u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalfisherman.com\/mid-atlantic\/federal-regulators-see-no-tie-between-whale-deaths-and-offshore-wind-development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Theoretically<\/a> Application to disturbances from offshore winds.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The magazine <a href=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebaymagazine.com\/critics-blame-offshore-wind-development-for-recent-coastal-whale-deaths\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Continue reading<\/a>, \u201cLaws acknowledges that Atlantic coast offshore wind proposals that have been issued would allow Level B harassment to whales, with some limited instances of Level A harassment in the form of noise exposure. And, NOAA points out, there is also the potential for survey activity to injure whales because the extra boat traffic could increase the chance of vessel strikes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Laws\u2019 comments, however, contrast his NOAA Fisheries colleague, Sean Hayes, who warned about offshore wind\u2019s impact on endangered North Atlantic right whales. Hayes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2022-11-29\/endangered-whales-at-risk-from-offshore-wind-us-scientist-warns#xj4y7vzkg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stressed<\/a> A May 13th memo \u201cAdditional noise, vessel traffic and habitat modifications due to offshore wind development will likely cause added stress that could result in additional population consequences to a species that is already experiencing rapid decline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The White House mandated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/pressreleases\/biden-harris-administration-announces-first-ever-offshore-wind-lease-sale-pacific#:~:text=This%20sale%20will%20be%20critical,clean%20energy%20future%20is%20undeniable.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Realizing your goals<\/a> Up to 30 gigawatts will be generated by offshore wind by 2030. However, unrealistic deadlines pose a risk not only for the whales but also for energy security. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brunel.net\/en\/blog\/renewable-energy\/onshore-offshore-wind\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wind<\/a>Like solar, it is extremely unreliable and has high maintenance costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Why would you destroy the oceans to save the planet&#8217;s environment? It\u2019s paradoxical. It&#8217;s even worse, because it undermines conservation practices that undergird environmental sustainability.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">NOAA Fisheries should treat whale mortalities with the seriousness that they deserve, and not hide data in order to placate Big Wind.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Let\u2019s save the whales \u2013and ourselves\u2013 from these problematic energy projects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democracy, for once, isn\u2019t dying in darkness.\u00a0 The Washington Post, an outlet all-in for net-zero energy, conceded recent whale deaths off the Atlantic Coast spell doom for the Biden administration\u2019s offshore wind prospects.\u00a0 \u201cThe humpback was one of nine large whales to get stranded over six weeks on or near beaches in the Northeast, not &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1826858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[16795,7538,9891,9890,16797,16796,6426,15492,6784],"class_list":["post-1826855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bongino-report","tag-endangers","tag-environmentalists","tag-gabriella","tag-hoffman","tag-inconvenient","tag-offshore","tag-truth","tag-whales","tag-wind"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1826855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1826855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1826855\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1826858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1826855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1826855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1826855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}