Good afternoon,
For you newbies out there, welcome to Outsider on the Inside. I hope this dispatch from in and around the nation’s capital on underreported topics finds you well.
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NEW: Conservation Nation EP15 is Out
Today, we are releasing Episode 15 of my CFACT original video series called “Conservation Nation.”
Videographer Madison Hughes and I explore the question: does President Biden’s net-zero push, including the scaling up of offshore wind exploration, contribution to whale deaths alongside the East Coast?
More evidence points to this, even as the Biden administration denies it.
NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center scientist, Sean Hayes warned the Biden administration to hit the brakes on wind projects in New England in a May 2022 letter: “The development of offshore wind poses risks to these species…” A follow-up Bloomberg headline in February 2023 similarly wrote, “The $100 Billion Offshore Wind Industry Has a Whale Problem.”
Despite others in NOAA Fisheries downplaying the connection, even Ben Laws from their Office of Protected Resources, said Level B harassment can be a possible result from offshore wind development:
Laws 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.
We spoke to the following stakeholders in our new video report:
Meghan Lapp of Seafreeze Ltd.
John Toth of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance
Keith & Suzanne Moore from Defend Brigantine Beach
Watch EP 15 below:
And speaking of Conservation Nation, Madison, our videographer, generously plugged our program during her recent appearance on RFD-TV.
War Eagle: Auburn University Speech Tomorrow
I’m speaking at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, tomorrow- Tuesday, October 3rd- on how conservation is conservative. Below is the promotional graphic for the event:
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—Gabriella