"Mass Whale Deaths, Eco-Friendly Wind Power to Blame"…Environmental Groups in Panic

Nine Deaths on the US East Coast Beaches
"Cause Pointed to Offshore Wind Power"
Environmental Groups Divided, Political Sphere Also Stirred

A humpback whale carcass measuring a staggering 10 meters in length was discovered on a beach in Nassau County, New York, USA, causing shock. Among the claims, the assertion that the mass death of whales washed ashore was due to wind power generation has put environmental groups in a dilemma.

According to the US political media outlet Politico on the 29th (local time), at least nine whales were washed ashore on the sandy beaches of New York and New Jersey in the northeastern US last month and died after failing to return to the sea. Although the exact cause has not yet been determined, controversy is spreading as an environmental group pointed to offshore wind power as the 'whale killer.'

An environmental group has found itself in a dilemma after claims arose that the mass death of whales washed ashore was due to wind power generation.
[Photo by Reuters·Yonhap News]

Clean Ocean Action, an environmental group with a 40-year history, claimed there is a connection between the preliminary work of constructing wind turbines along the coast and the deaths of the whales. Clean Ocean Action further demanded that offshore wind development be halted at least until the authorities understand the situation.

Other environmental groups found themselves in a dilemma over Clean Ocean Action's claim. Offshore wind power is urgently needed as an eco-friendly energy source to combat the climate crisis, but the possible link to the 'mass whale deaths' could lead to unexpected consequences.

The environmental group Sierra Club responded to Clean Ocean Action's claim by stating, "Just as we do not demand the suspension of shipping operations by merchant vessels on the sea by claiming unfairness, we will not demand the suspension of offshore wind power on the grounds of unfairness," adding, "Offshore wind power will save us all."

A humpback whale carcass measuring an astonishing 10 meters in length was found on a beach in Nassau County, New York State, USA, causing shock.
[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

This controversy has spread beyond environmental groups and recently reached the political arena. The Biden administration's ambitious offshore wind policy could provide the Republican Party with a pretext to oppose it, citing the 'mass whale deaths.'

In the New Jersey State Assembly, six Republican lawmakers from coastal districts joined these voices, and Jeff Van Drew, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, urged New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, to halt coastal wind activities.

In a statement released on the 13th of this month, Representative Van Drew said, "In response to the unprecedented number of whales washed ashore last month, I demand the immediate suspension of all offshore wind power in New Jersey."

As the noise did not subside, signs of internal conflict emerged even within the ruling Democratic Party. Vin Gopal, a Democratic lawmaker representing a coastal district in the New Jersey State Assembly, expressed that he is "very concerned" about any possible connection between wind power and the whales.