Russ Hodin’s cartoon in the Aug. 23 New Times harpooned it. It seems he got the same impression that I did at the National Science Foundation meeting Aug. 8, a public meeting regarding high-decibel air-gun seismic testing scheduled to commence off our coast.
These scientists state there would be short-term, localized changes in behavior—no long-term or significant effects would be expected on individual marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds, or the populations to which they belong or on their habitats. But Greenpeace says, “Little is known about the physiological or behavioral responses of cetaceans, fish and other sea life to sound, and are capable of sensing minute changes in acoustical energy beyond our perceptual imagination or scientific measurements.”
We aren’t talking about minute acoustical energy here but a consistent blasting—one of the loudest anthropogenic sounds. We seem to have before us a Sophie’s Choice. Do we take a gamble on doing irreparable harm to our sea life and fishing industry or do we toss the dice that Diablo Canyon, a 40-year-old plant built on known earthquake faults should be re-licensed for another 20 years?
-- Marty Brown - Atascadero
-- Marty Brown - Atascadero
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