Physical Address
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CLAIM
Under construction, offshore wind turbines caused the death of whales in the New Jersey coast area.
FACT
Misleading. There is no evidence to show that whale deaths are connected to offshore wind turbine construction.
WHAT THEY CLAIM
A Twitter user posted on January 12, 2023, claiming that multiple whale deaths reported along the New Jersey Coast have a connection to the offshore wind turbines being built in the Atlantic. The user also shared a news link along with the Twitter post covering the incident of whale deaths and how the residents and officials are accusing wind turbines of being a reason behind it.
WHAT WE FOUND
Wind turbines are one of the cleanest sources of renewable energy and their use is encouraged for a sustainable planet. While New Jersey moves toward a ”cleaner” future, offshore wind continues to be among the most sought-after renewable energy alternatives.
According to federal environmental and energy officials, there is no evidence that the offshore wind power industry is killing whales in the northeastern U.S.
Also, NOAA officials said they have been studying the phenomenon of humpback whales dying at elevated rates along the East Coast since January 2016. During that period, 178 of the animals washed ashore dead between Maine and Florida.
Post-mortem examinations were able to be done on about half the animals and of those, 40% showed evidence of “human interaction,” such as entanglement with fishing gear or being struck by vessels, said Lauren Gaches, an NOAA spokesperson. In other cases, the animals were too decomposed for an effective investigation.
“There is no information supporting that any of the equipment used in support of offshore wind development could directly lead to the death of a whale,” said Benjamin Laws, deputy chief for permits and conservation with NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources. “There are no known connections between any offshore wind activities and any whale strandings.”
Lauren Gaches, director of public affairs for NOAA Fisheries, said that climate change and warming oceans might affect whale migration which might have led to greater whale strandings.
These statements by scientists and officials show that there is no link between whale deaths and wind turbines and this is nothing but misinformation that is preventing the use of a clean source of energy.
References Used:
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