New Jersey Democrats know that the spate of whale and dolphin deaths at the Jersey Shore is no longer just an environmental problem… it’s becoming a political problem, too.
They can’t admit that wind turbine surveying activities are the likely culprit. That presents a compound political dilemma given the Democrats’ deep financial ties to green energy scammers.
On Wednesday, all nine Democrat members of our state’s U.S. House delegation – Donald Payne (NJ-10), Andy Kim (NJ-03), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Rob Menendez (NJ-08), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) – signed a letter blaming boat strikes, entanglements, and “climate change” marine mammal fatalities.
“Opponents are funding attempts to blame offshore wind pre-construction activity for marine mammal deaths without scientific evidence. This not only threatens our transition to emission-free clean energy sources that are necessary to help maintain healthy marine habitats and provide New Jerseyans with good-paying union jobs, but also distracts the public and policymakers from real solutions. This is deeply hypocritical as the fossil fuel industry is the main proponent of weakening our bedrock environmental review laws to the advantage of industry,” the lawmakers complained.
You can view the letter here.
It was addressed NOT to a government agency (over which Congress would have more direct sway) but the “White House Council on Environmental Quality.” Whatever the fuck that is?
There are obviously MAJOR problems with the members’ logic including, but not limited to (1) a lack of investigation by regulatory bodies and (2) the compromised status of the handful of institutions allegedly monitoring the situation. The government has ADMITTED, in writing, that wind farm surveying is likely to hurt animals. Pretending there isn’t enough evidence to point the finger in wind’s direction – especially when both the Biden and Murphy administration refuse to take a serious look – is gaslighting on steroids.
The letter also laughably notes how, “[s]ince 2008, large vessels have been required to travel at speeds to protect whales, but compliance remains problematic.” There’s no attempt to explain why the current mass whale and dolphin deaths spike began in December 2023.
These are your elected “representatives,” folks. Is it any wonder things are hopelessly screwed up?
