Media Companies Falsely Labeled Connection Between the Wind Industry and Whale Deaths as “Misinformation,” Received Money from Wind Industry
The New York Times’ top environment writer, Lisa Friedman called the connection between the wind industry and whale deaths “misinformation.” AP also reported, “Whale Deaths Not Linked to Wind Prep Work.” USA Today similarly dismissed the connection as “cynical disinformation.” The Guardian suggested conservationists raising the alarm had secret ties to “right-wing think tanks” and the oil and gas industry.
However, increased boat traffic and high-decibel sonar mapping of the ocean floor by the wind energy industry are behind the rising deaths of whales and other cetaceans off the East Coast over the last six years and could make the North Atlantic Right whale extinct, according to researchers featured in a new documentary, ”Thrown To The Wind.” Data analyst Lisa Linowes found that increased boat traffic from offshore wind construction strongly correlates with whale deaths. Researcher Rob Rand discovered the wind industry engaging in high-decibel sonar mapping, which scientists say can split mothers from their calves, send them to poorer feeding grounds to escape the noise and drive them into highly trafficked boat lanes where they face a higher likelihood of being struck by a boat and killed.
The Washington Post also corroborated the correlation between whale deaths and the development of offshore wind farms. “We have an unprecedented amount of whales dying here at the same time there is this industrial activity taking place on a scale that has never before happened in these waters,” Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, told the Washington Post. “Why is this not being investigated? Why are these companies getting a pass?”
Additionally, a wide range of publications promoted the wind industry through a series of disclosed sponsored posts. For instance, the Guardian ran an article headlined, “Winds of change: celebrating 30 years of offshore wind energy.” Politico called offshore wind a “green energy panacea” and the “key to European jobs, growth, and industrial revival.” And Reuters is hosting an event entitled “Offshore Wind USA 2024,” to facilitate “the Biden administration’s ambitious 30 GW by 2030 target,” relating to wind energy.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with accepting paid sponsorships, mainstream media coverage has ignored or baselessly negated the empirical correlations found in the publicly available data published by Save the Right Whales.
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