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House Republicans Call for Halt to Offshore Wind Projects

House Republicans Call for Halt to Offshore Wind Projects

Meanwhile, 8 dolphins die on New Jersey beach after ‘mass stranding event’.

Legal Insurrection readers will recall that I have been covering reports of numerous dead whales washing ashore on the beaches of New York and New Jersey.

Many observers, including environmental activists, are concerned that the offshore wind projects are leading to these troubling deaths.

Now Republican members in the House of Representatives from the Northeast call for a halt to offshore wind projects until their full environmental and economic impacts are assessed.

The push led by Rep. Jeff Van Drew, New Jersey Republican, coincides with concerns about a dozen humpback whales and right whales that have washed ashore this year along the East Coast.

“While [the Biden] administration continues to ignore the adverse consequences that could result from offshore wind development, my colleagues and I will not,” Mr. Van Drew told Fox News Digital. “It is imperative that the array of unanswered concerns are addressed, from maritime travel and safety to the environment and national security.”

His resolution is co-sponsored by fellow Republican Reps. Chris Smith of New Jersey, Andy Harris of Maryland, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Anthony D’Esposito of New York.

Beyond environmental concerns, they are worried about the effect on fishing and shipping industries. The resolution says Congress senses that offshore wind development should be halted pending an investigation.

The timing of this development coincides with the news that a pod of eight dolphins died after they became stranded on a Jersey Shore beach this week.

Two of the marine mammals died when officials arrived at the Sea Isle City beach, according to New Jersey’s Marine Mammal Stranding Center.

The six others, whose conditions were “rapidly deteriorating,” were assisted by a veterinarian before a decision was made to euthanize them “to prevent further suffering, as returning them to the ocean would have only prolonged their inevitable death,” the organization said.

The bodies of the eight dolphins were transported to a lab for necropsies.

“We share in the public’s sorrow for these beautiful animals, and hope that the necropsies will help us understand the reason for their stranding,” MMSC said.

Since 2017, at least 335 humpbacks, right whales, and minkes, a small whale species, died after washing onto the East Coast. “Experts” deny that offshore wind projects are a problem.

The Marina Mammal Commission insisted that the high levels of beachings are ‘not new, nor are they unique to the US Atlantic coast’.

The most common reason attributed to the deaths has been either the animals being hit by ships or caught in fishing nets.

Post-mortems conducted on many of the humpback whales found since 2016 found that approximately 40 percent had evidence of ‘human interaction’, meaning ship strikes or entanglements, according to the NOAA.

Another reason that could explain the mass deaths is the surge in online shopping since the pandemic, which has fueled a record-setting number of cargo shipments to the East Coast.

The spike has led to an increase in titanic vessels moving through the region, and their updated routes may have begun crossing paths with more whales than ever before.

If the offshore farms are not a problem for marine mammals, then a detailed environmental impact assessment should confirm that determination…as long as it is conducted based on real science and not politically-driven, narrative science.

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Comments

BierceAmbrose | March 24, 2023 at 7:11 pm

We halt projects for smelt, and go flank speed on stuff that kills wales, dolphins, n raptors.

I didn’t realize critters had party affiliation. Makws me wonder how they expect various “invasive species” to vote.

The Blue blight… complements the Green blight.

Supply chains and cost increases are shutting them down first.

They are no longer economically viable.

Just get rid of tax credits.

Compromise: move the wind turbines onshore and power them with fossil fuels.

The blatant hypocrisy of the ‘environmental movement’ has been on clear display for a decade or more. It’s not about protecting the environment it’s about power. Namely reducing the economic power and well being of the vast majority of US Citizens.

The environmental weirdos don’t give a hoot about industrial accidents in ‘flyover country’ nor that the fever dream of wind and solar can’t work nor that these projects on a commercial/grid level are quite destructive to wildlife. The only thing that matters is hurting the folks in ‘flyover country’ who depend on ICE vehicles, Nat gas propane and coal. Hell, they still refuse to seriously consider Nuke power despite it being clean while they want to destroy dams and their power producing reservoirs.

    Olinser in reply to CommoChief. | March 24, 2023 at 7:40 pm

    A decade? Try a century.

    The environmental terrorist movement is one that too many people simply don’t know about, and the name of ‘environmental justice’ made all manner of attacks and sabotage of oil, coal, and construction that harmed the environment far more than the actual work taking place.

    Truly disgusting acts like spiking trees, burning down entire complexes under construction, sabotaging pipelines, the works.

      CommoChief in reply to Olinser. | March 24, 2023 at 8:20 pm

      Sure lots of eco terrorism in our history. What I refer to is change in the more mainstream environmental groups. Today they aren’t concerned about protecting habitat or chemicals spills, except in their use as a club to beat on oil and gas.

      Instead these mainstream environmental groups have gone to bed with ‘climate change’. They tout unworkable grid level solar and wind as immediate replacement for carbon. Can’t be done and they know it. But b/c it isn’t about the environment and is about ending middle class life they are all in. It doesn’t hurt that ‘climate change’ ties into their Malthusian and Maoist agenda.

stevewhitemd | March 24, 2023 at 7:41 pm

I’d point out that several states, including California and Florida, have banned off-shore oil drilling. Why? The environment, of course (and for Florida, an inability to tolerate the smallest risk of beach pollution).

So off-shore oil drilling = bad.
But off-shore wind farms = good.

No wonder we have an energy problem in this country.

    Gosport in reply to stevewhitemd. | March 24, 2023 at 9:34 pm

    In Florida the issue is likely more tourism related. Nobody wants to pay money to sit on a beach sipping mai-tais and watching the sun set over the oil rigs. Put them far enough out and it’s a slightly different story.

““Experts” deny that offshore wind projects are a problem.”
Just give the windmills summa this new mRNA vax, fix everything right up!

I’m disgusted at the death of these beautiful animals.

I use to give large amounts to environmental organizations, use to, use to vote democrat ( my family was 100% Union Democrats for decades)

I volunteer at wildlife rescues now. I put my work and money to places I know so honorable work.

Did you know, Raccoons just love to play with their poop, and boy do they poop

Learning how to take care of raptors, not for the faint of heart… those claws…

Tomorrow I’m
Going to an educational seminar on skunks… we have a couple ambassador skunks, actually pretty cool animals, really sweet faces. Haven’t been sprayed yet.
Got to take care of a bobcat, fox’s, owls hawks….lots of little critters

I’m disgusted at these windmills, have been from the get go. They murder our national bird, America Eagle at alarming rates and yet… crickets…

Now our oceans beauty

Whomever is downvoting everyone must be a Greta crazy.

Go Green with unreliable energy, environmental… uh, transitions, and renewable profits.

E Howard Hunt | March 25, 2023 at 1:41 pm

I think those dolphins were killed on porpoise.

I’ve read several scientific papers that make a strong case vibrations from the windmills are impacting the sonar capabilities used for hunting, navigation etc by whales and dolphins. Offshore building of windfarms should be halted to further study this and if so, find mitigation strategies to avoid this phenomenon.