March 2, 2014 — On Thursday, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released an Environmental Impact Survey, three years in preparation, assessing a proposed project to use seismic air guns for exploring the offshore oil and gas resources beneath the U.S. Atlantic outer continental shelf range, and proposing mitigation measures to diminish the impact on marine life.
The energy industry says potentially vast reserves lie in the depths of the Atlantic, but they claim these could be uncovered only by seismic surveys, performed by towing seismic air guns blasting extremely loud sounds down to the seabed to detect the size and location of hydrocarbon deposits. Environmental groups say the use of this technology will have a devastating effect on marine wildlife, especially threatening to populations of right whales, with humpback whales, dolphins, and loggerhead turtles being impacted as well.
Obviously an issue like this is extremely contentious, with emotions running high on both sides of the question, pitting as it does, the vast financial reserves of the fossil fuel industry against animal rights activists and environmentalists. People who are ambivalent about this technology may be wondering how to realistically get an answer from a whale about the damage caused by the seismic air guns. Without knowing anything about oceanography, or cetacean behavior, the average newsreader is left to form an opinion on the basis of gut feelings. Gut feelings, however, are not the most solid evidence on which to base policy.
So here are some questions that one might pose, in order to gain a better understanding.