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Health & Fitness

Seismic surveys: A not-so-silent threat

Hands Across The Sand: Join hands with others worldwide to take a stand!

We’ve all seen the images. Pelicans blackened and slick, dripping with oily residue; fish, dead by the thousands floating among a sea of black; and the economy of one of the largest port states in the nation crippled. It seemed as though for most of 2010, you couldn’t turn on your television without seeing the aftermath of the gulf oil spill, which claimed the lives of 11 men and filled the Gulf of Mexico with more than 200 million gallons of crude oil. Though this 87 day long catastrophe occurred only three years ago, it can seem a distant memory to many as we continue to fill up our gas tanks and power our homes and offices while utilizing “dirty” oil based sources of energy which we pump from our oceans despite the inherent risks.

 

While many have called for an increase in clean energy initiatives, it seems as though the drive for these changes haven’t equated to viable results, which would allow everyone to reduce their carbon footprint.

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Before offshore drilling can occur, seismic testing must be done to uncover oil and gas deposits. Though we know the dangers of offshore drilling, not many may know that seismic testing alone already poses a threat to our aquatic neighbors. How would you like to endure the sounds of constant explosions repeatedly at ten-second intervals as you go about your daily routine? What if those explosions affected not only the way you see and eat, but also your chance of survival? For whales, dolphins, porpoises and other marine wildlife, this would be their reality should seismic testing continue to occur.

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The booming sounds and vibrations created by seismic air guns can travel for hundreds of miles, deafening animals who depend on sound for feeding, mating and communication. For them, and in particular for the North Atlantic right whale, of which there are only just over 300 left in the world, going deaf is akin to being sentenced to death.  And if those intense booms don’t fully deafen our visually challenged dolphin and whale friends, they certainly cause alarm and avoidance reactions from other species, some of which fisherman rely on for resources and business.  So not only would irreparable damage be done to several aquatic species and ecosystems, but the fishing industry would take a big hit. With that in mind, it seems like a no-brainer to place more emphasis on tapping into alternative energy resources to protect the seas and create jobs for our slowly recovering economy.

 

If you agree and want to send a powerful message to our state leaders and government officials, let’s join hands tomorrow and stand strong against old resource search and extraction methods that deserve to be retired and embrace the new, the clean and the green. 

Join the American Littoral Society, the Sierra Club, the South Jersey chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and people around the world who will meet hand in hand on beaches from the United States to New Zealand, to embrace the same purpose, at the Hands Across the Sand event. On May 18 be sure to join us at Island Beach State Park and visit www.handsacrossthesand.com for more information.  To RSVP, please visit, http://hatsislandbeachstatepark.eventbrite.com

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