US President George Bush has handed the environmental movement (and the judiciary) a significant slap in the face, overruling a judge's decision not to allow the US Navy to use sonar during exercises. The US beak had issued preliminary limitations on sonar use following a lawsuit in which environmental activists said that the gear causes harm to dolphins and whales.
I was wondering what other people felt about this decision to overturn a court ruling affecting the environment.
Sure there are bigger issues out there, and I can see the conflict over proper training .. but surely in this day and age the training can either be simulated or done in an area with the least amount of marine life affected ?
Has anyone ever seen any research on the Sonar and Cetaceans ? I thought I saw a TV documentary where a scientist used sonar to talk to dolphins and maybe even whales ?
This just caught my attention this morning and I was interested to share.
I'd like to see the 'science' on this, for and against. Anyone have any links?
As someone who once new a bit about submarine warfare I can tell you that use of these sonars is vital to national security and no you cannot simulate the training.
So it is in the best interest of both the US Navy and the environmentalist to achieve a working compromise. I have known some of these Navy people and believe me they don't want to cause avoidable damage to the environment.
As a side issue one of the Truth Aquatics captains believes that they very weak sonars on the Dive Tracker system affects the behavior of whales in the Santa Barbara Channel.
I for one find this completely unacceptable. So much destruction and waste is done in the name of "national security". Personal freedoms are thrown aside, people are imprisoned without any trial. And of course, whales (who knows how many) are needlessly killed and injured. One could move the exercise well away from known whale zones but hey, that would cost time and money...never mind the daily amount of money being spent on other national security causes such as Iraq right now.
Even the military must be held accountable to the nations laws...without this we become a military state.
There's no question Bush is paranoid at this point but I guess if I were in his shoes I probably would be too. I don't think you can question that sonar affects animals who communicate in this very manner. I've had the misfortune of being in the tank next to the one which fired its main gun...without hearing protection. I can't even begin to imagine not being able to stop the next occurence. I think they certainly need to define deep water zones where the animals can at least escape without going mad.
