There is no scientific evidence to support a claim that offshore wind turbines kill whales. Photo: Brian Skerry
Now more than ever, our planet needs clean, renewable energy. Climate change is a very real and concerning phenomenon that requires our immediate attention. We must take vigorous action to minimize the damage that’s already occurred and prevent further harm to our environment. To that end, offshore wind farms are a viable and renewable energy solution.
What Impact Does Offshore Drilling and Burning Fossil Fuels Have on Whales?
There is no source of energy that has zero negative impacts or risks to the environment, including offshore wind. That said, if we don’t have enough renewables to fuel demand, our only realistic source is more fossil fuels – and they’re far more dangerous to the ocean than offshore wind. Drilling for oil in the seafloor and burning the resulting fossil fuels both cause immense damage to already at-risk marine ecosystems, harming whales. For example:
- Offshore drilling can lead to oil spills, like the infamous Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. Spills kill and injure marine life, even whales.
- One-third of the carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels is absorbed by the ocean, making the water more acidic. This, in turn, harms marine life like plankton, disrupting marine ecosystems and affecting whales’ ability to feed.
- Climate change is causing ocean temperatures to rise. This shifts where whales can find food, which demands more energy for feeding and migrating, leaving them weaker and less resilient to other threats.
The list of harmful, dangerous consequences as a result of offshore drilling and the burning of fossil fuels goes on and on. Cutting carbon pollution by replacing fossil fuels with wind energy will create a healthier global ocean that, in turn, helps to maintain stable habitats and abundant natural prey populations for whales.
What Can Wind Developers Do to Manage Risk to Whales?
There are also multiple ways to develop and maintain offshore wind farms responsibly while managing the risk to whales:
- Whale monitoring. Developers must use trained spotters to maintain continuous surveillance for whales and underwater microphones to monitor for whales. When whales are anywhere nearby, they must pause construction.
- Construction timing. Work on wind projects must be limited to daylight hours when there is good visibility for the people monitoring the water for whales. It should also avoid peak seasons for whale activity.
- Vessel speed limits. Any boat or ship traveling to the construction site must limit its speed to no more than 10 knots when whales are present or likely to be present. This drastically reduces the chances of a collision that could be very dangerous to both whales and anyone on the boats. It also reduces the chance that a collision will kill a whale by 90%.
- Underwater noise reduction. Developers must use technology designed to minimize construction noise’s effect on whale feeding and social communications.
- Long-term monitoring. Developers must partner with marine scientists for long-term research and monitor how this rapidly evolving technology affects whales.
Who is Misleading the Public About Offshore Wind and Why?
It is understandable that there is confusion about the impact of offshore wind projects on marine life. To hear critics talk about offshore wind, you would think that none of the safety measures listed above existed. You can easily find articles, apparently authored by conservation groups, suggesting that offshore wind isn’t a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
In reality, some of the supposed “grassroots” organizations opposing offshore wind are quietly being funneled money, staff, information, talking points, or resources (sometimes all of the above) by fossil fuel interests. While many of the people involved in the “grassroots” front groups are no doubt sincere in their desire to protect the ocean, they are unwittingly doing the bidding of groups who don’t share their beliefs.
Another group vocally opposing offshore wind farms are wealthy coastal property owners. These “Not In My Backyard” (NIMBY) residents mask their concern about the wind farms disrupting their ocean views as worries about environmental impact.
Is There Any Evidence that Wind Farms Kill Whales?
Quite simply, no. There is no scientific evidence to support a claim that offshore turbines kill whales. Experts agree that the two biggest threats to whales are entanglements in fishing gear and vessel strikes. In fact, for North Atlantic right whales, there is no documented case of an adult right whale dying from any other cause in the modern day.
How Can I Support Offshore Wind Energy?
Here’s how you can support offshore wind energy:
- Stay informed. Make sure your information sources are credible, science-based organizations – not fossil fuel industry organizations masquerading as environmental groups.
- Contact your representatives. Let them know you want them to support policies supporting offshore wind.
- Educate others. Talk to friends and family or share the facts on social media.
- Support organizations like Conservation Law Foundation. We are committed to fighting against industries and businesses that deny climate change in order to line their own pockets. Support our work as we continue to fight for our planet.
