The recent approval of undersea seismic surveys off of the Atlantic coast has caused much controversy in the scientific and political community. What this would do is proceed with seismic surveys from Delaware to Florida. In order for actual drilling of test wells to occur, the White House ban on Atlantic production has to expire, which wouldn't happen until 2017. After that, the government has to agree to lease ocean tracts to oil companies.
The American Petroleum Institute insists that the recommendation of these surveys will help with the nation's energy security. They predict oil and gas production in the the Atlantic Ocean could create 280,000 new jobs. In addition to that, it is predicted to make $195 billion in private investments.
Environmentalists say that these activities would destroy the climate and sea life. Many aquatic animals, such as dolphins and whales, are sensitive to noise. The high frequencies from the surveys could potentially kill or injure a large part of their population. Some marine scientists say that the estimates of dolphin/whale deaths are inaccurately blown out of proportion. These numbers show worst-case scenarios and don't account the safeguards taken for animals and humans. Whether or not the noise affects these animals behavior in the long term is a big concern for marine scientists.
What do you think? Do we need the jobs from these proposed project or is it unfair to the aquatic life in the Atlantic Ocean that we do this? Leave your opinion in the comments below.
Nature and Science Themes
Science is subjected to debate and is tentative: Whether or not aquatic animals are affected by loud noises is being called into question
Person's view and experience can influence data: Whether or not you're an environmentalist businessman may influence which side you take on this issue
Conflicts within the scientific community: Marine scientists are challenging each other's viewpoints on how seismic noise affects aquatic sea life
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/28/us/us-moves-toward-atlantic-oil-exploration-stirring-debate-over-sea-life.html?ref=science&_r=0
I thought this blog post was very interesting because I have the strong opinion that sea mammals should not be put at risk this way, no matter how much money or how many jobs will come out of it. There are plenty of species already at risk, we don't need more. I think that this will only lead to more oil spills and in return the decrease in population of many species. In an article I found, it says that sea animals like dolphins, whales, and seals rely on their sound to hear prey, communicate with others, and choose migration routes. With these new seismic surveys, those sound waves will be intercepted and cut off, causing many mammals to die. Dr. Barret-Lennard, Senior Marine Mammal Researcher at the Vancouver Marine Science Center, has said that seismic activity is one of the two greatest threats to these animals.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.akmarine.org/our-work/protect-bristol-bay/Impacts_of_Seismic_Surveys_AMCC.pdf
Though I do agree that the jobs would be helpful, I do not agree that this is an okay way to create new jobs. There are too many factors/animals that could be harmed for this to be a just project. If the long term effects of the seismic waves are unknown, I do not feel like the company should be allowed to proceed with the surveys. Not only will the seismic waves harm the animals, but oil drilling brings up many other concerns that would affect the animals.
ReplyDeleteI would like to start off by saying this was a very interesting article that you chose, and I enjoyed reading it. Ever since the events such as the Exxon Valdez, oil drilling/transportation over water has been an extremely controversial issue. If I were to give my personal opinion, I would argue that we do not need these jobs, and should invest in alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power. Getting away from politics and more to an evironmental impact, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill had an absolutely devastating effect on marine life in the Gulf of Mexico, and I don't believe that any amount of money is worth a loss of life. 90 to 195 million liters were dumped into the ocean, which made an absolutely catastrophic effect on wildlife. It's estimated that 20% of this years spawn of Bluefish Tuna will die because of this oil spill. This is just my opinion, but I really believe that it's not worth it, no matter how much wealth is accumulated.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19016-gulf-leak-biggest-spill-may-not-be-biggest-disaster.html#.UxTquUJdUXI
I found this blog to be very interesting, I believe that creating new jobs is important, but I don't believe that sea mammals and other sea creatures should be put in danger. There are a lot of affects or things that could go wrong if they were to put this project into action. Oil drilling could have many negative affects on the animals. There could be an oil spill, and the effects of the seismic waves are unknown. Seismic waves are believed to be one of the largest threats to the sea mammals (whales, walrus, seals, dolphins). I don't believe that this project is worth it because it has a lot of negative affects.
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