We can't let the GOP weaponize NJ's dead whales | Opinion
New Jersey summers always include the pods of dolphins and whales jumping out of the water together. Now, they are returning deceased on our shorelines. These events are devastating, but have since morphed into a ploy against new offshore wind development.
The Biden administration aims to combat the climate crisis at the root by generating 30 gigawatts of clean energy by 2030 to split from fossil fuels that are largely responsible for global warming. This will power 10 million homes, create over 75,000 jobs, and generate a new investment market as well, yet this solution has wrongly become the villain in the narrative. Private citizens and environmental groups have rallied over recent months to express theirconcern over the sharp increase of cetacean deaths, and many blame these new offshore wind turbines, believing the sounds produced lead whales to become disoriented in their echolocation and strand themselves. However, the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering states that these development instruments use sound frequencies higher than the range whales can even hear. Yes, the Marine Mammal Protection Act classifies offshore wind as a Level B harassment, meaning it can interfere with the daily habits of whales, but even whale watching or being inproximity to them constitutes as such.
The biggest threat to whales continues to be climate change. As ocean temperatures continue to warm, fish species migrate into different areas than usual. Whales follow these prey, which often are either closer to shore, or in heavily-occupied shipping lanes. Ship "highways" are more frequented than ever before due to online shopping increases since the pandemic (27% more), and in conjunction with adapting prey, casualties arise.
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But how would whales fare with our fossil fuel reliance? The aforementioned MMPA classifies fossil fuel endeavors into Level A (more dangerous), as the air guns used to penetrate into ocean floors are much louder than alternatives. Douglas Nowacek, a marine biologist at Duke University, notes it is the loudest sound humans regularly emit into the ocean. Louder than military sonars. Not only have these been proven to directly harm whales’ wellbeing, but they displace and kill their prey as well.
There has been ardent uproar in support of whales, and offshore wind has become the scapegoat with a large volume of controversy. From Facebook to Reddit, there’s been a surge in misinformation, propaganda, and even conspiracy theories against organizations such as the New Jersey-based Marine Mammal Stranding Center, namely by conservative entities. Twelve mayors have written to state Congress to pause offshore wind development to further evaluate how it affects marine life. In addition, Cape May County held a hearing titled “An Examination IntoOffshore Wind Industrialization”, represented by Rep. Jeff Van Drew and two other Republican congressmen. However, where was this concern for the environment before? Yes, dead whales are certainly an up close and personal reality check to the climate crisis, but so are rapidly fluctuating temperatures, increasingly violent storms, and surge floods in coastal towns.
Dead whales have become the poster children for South Jersey Republicans’ superficial environmentalism. While villainizing offshore wind energy, they have effectively diverted local environmental movements away from the larger crisis, and instead towards attacking a new technology that could benefit prosperity and wildlife alike. Climate change is the battle of our lifetime, along with whales’, but we are the ones who can take action, and offshore wind energy is a responsible step despite recent criticism.
Kayla Kulzy is a Seaside Park resident majoring in Biology and Environmental Studies at Bowdoin College.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ dead whales weaponize GOP's environmentalism
