Tag Archives: infectious disease
Climbing whale deaths sparks questions over offshore wind
A 20-foot dead whale washed up on Quonnie Beach in Charlestown in December, becoming one of several stranded whales found on beaches in Southern New England in 2024. It’s a trend that scientists have been watching over the past decade, when whale deaths started to drastically increase in the region. Every time a whale dies, hundreds of online comments blame offshore wind farms as the reason behind the death. University of Rhode Island Emeritus Marine Research Scientist Robert Kenney says there’s no evidence to back those claims. Last year alone, 28 dead whales washed ashore in Rhode Island and Massachusetts combined, compared to 16 in 2023, two in 2022, and 18 in 2021. Video, photos, more. >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:25
Experts say Trump is right yet all wrong on whale deaths
It is the first commercial-scale offshore wind energy project in the U.S. But is Vineyard Wind, under construction off the coast of Massachusetts, contributing to an increase in whale strandings? That’s what President-elect Donald Trump suggested at a Tuesday press conference, as he vowed to stop new offshore wind farms during his administration. “You see what’s happening up in the Massachusetts area with the whales,” Trump said. “They had two whales wash ashore in a 17-year period. And now they had fourteen this season. The windmills are driving the whales crazy.” Actually, what may be driving the whale’s crazy is the noise generated by the construction of the wind farm. It involves the placement of 62 turbines, one nautical mile apart. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<<08:01
