A Whale of an Interesting Development
part of an interesting article on dangers to whales
the rest is at --- http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5...BPy7bXLs4_Yn5A
BARCELONA (AFP) — Underwater cacophony caused by commercial and military ships has become so intense that it is killing whales, scientists at the World Conservation Congress here say.
Sounds ranging from the hum of yacht motors to sonar blasts strong enough to destroy a whale's inner ear ( 230 decibels! ) are wreaking havoc on the ability of these cetaceans to migrate, feed and breed, they said on Thursday as a historic case began to be heard by the US Supreme Court.
"The noises generated by ships create what I call acoustic smog," said Michel Andre, director of the Laboratory of Applied Bio-Acoustics in Barcelona. Just as air pollution reduces one's field of vision, "noise pollution in the sea reduces the zone in which whales can feed and hampers their ability to communicate," he told AFP in an interview. "There is no place in the world's oceans that is untouched."
Many shipping lanes follow the coastal routes that whales have traced for millions of years as they roam the planet's seas.
The result is a crescendo of beachings, strandings and collisions as whales and other sea mammals disoriented or physically damaged by noise lose their bearings.
Re: A Whale of an Interesting Development
Sad...can we not destroy ONE part of the earth?? Can we not kill off EVERYTHING for our own greed???
Re: A Whale of an Interesting Development
OMFG poor whales.
I've always wanted to hug a whale.
Re: A Whale of an Interesting Development
Someone should develop silent engines. I think that electric is very quiet and hydrogen is practically silent. And, of course, nuclear power is silent as is demonstrated by military submarines.
We can help this problem by buying local as much as is humanly possible. Buying things like locally grown foods will reduce the number of ships needed for trade. Using less imported fuel is another biggie. Get a conversion kit for your car and buy locally made bioethanol. Buy the conversion kit here:
www.changet2E85.com
Buy the fuel here:
http://www.e85refueling.com/
Scientists are rapidly developing ways to turn our garbage into E85 fuel. We will no longer need to use food crops to create this fuel and can use our garbage instead.
New story of new cellulostic ethanol refinery
We might not be rich and powerful, but we can do our part at home to preserve our planet.
Re: A Whale of an Interesting Development
Maybe we could go back to sails. No fuel costs, noise, or greenhouse emissions. Technology for sailing vessels has greatly improved.
http://www.charterworld.com/index.ht...se-falcon-1096
Re: A Whale of an Interesting Development
It's more the sonar than the engines. Sonar is like radar but for underwater use.