By Ray Cardello for March 24, 2023, Season 17 / Post 8

I am old enough to remember when the environmental tree-huggers of the 70s were all about saving the whales. Save the Whales was founded in 1977 but celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2020. Math was not the strong suit of the early climate watchers and saviors of Mother Earth.

These folks are at a fork in the road for their lifelong cause, and John Kerry and Al Gore are not taking their calls for guidance. All and John are still wondering why the polar ice caps did not melt away in 2014 as they had guaranteed. The green movement wanted the fossil fuel industry destroyed and replaced with solar panels and windmills. They have watched in delight as beautiful ocean views in New York and New Jersey were eradicated by the massive fins of windmill farms that now crowd the horizon. They were so proud of their accomplishment until they looked to the beach as the waves came crashing in. Those waves carried the dead carcasses of whales and dolphins, victims of the beautiful windmills. Oops! Such a beautiful plan. Even Greta Thunberg smiled and approved. Where did we go wrong? Let’s review. These folks are the same who could not figure out their 40th anniversary. Ideologues, yes, but not too bright.

The environmentalists have virtually shut down the lobster industry in Maine. The issue at hand is the equipment that lobstermen use, and have used for generations, is considered deadly for whales, and we must save the whales at any expense to humans. Decades of data have been reviewed to ascertain the damage done to our ocean mammals. We will have to dig deeper as there are no deaths, none, zero, nada, but it must be a threat, and we need to shut down these nasty guys in yellow overalls working hard to make a living.

It is not just the lobstermen hurt by the regulations placed on them by these “Greenies” who have never put in a hard day’s work in their lifetime. They also impact seafood wholesalers, truckers, restaurants, and grocery/seafood shops. Finally, these regulations are depriving lobsters from or driving the price beyond the reach of many lobster lovers worldwide. Sadly, there is no data to initiate or substantiate these regulations.

On the flip side of environmental initiatives is the damage to sea life, especially sea mammals, by constructing and operating the massive wind farms built off-shore from Maine to New Jersey. Whales and dolphins have been washing up on shore, allegedly disoriented by sounds emanating from these windmills. These mammals use sound waves to navigate, and these foreign sounds created by the wind farms are causing these mammals to beach and die.

Over 300 whales have been killed in the northeast waters since 2017. Dolphin deaths are rising from the Northeast to the Gulf of Mexico. Many are blamed on disease, but the Northeast spike coincides with the increase in wind farms. Environmentalists are flocking to defend the wind farms, but unfortunately, the same number is hell-bent on destroying the Northeast lobster industry. Sadly, this shows a lack of concern with data or facts from a group of people who claim to be fact-driven. Hopefully, there will be more research done into wind farm damage and relief for the lobstering industry.