Whales, dolphins and all marine mammals which depend upon their hearing
for their very lives (communication, migration, feeding) are in danger in
75% of the world's oceans.  This is not an alarmist exaggeration, honest.
The Navy has already tested and was set to deploy sonar which causes
incredible damage.
 
A federal investigation found that the navy's testing of mid-frequency
active sonar has already caused the stranding of several species of
whales in the Bahamas in March 2000.  At the same time the region's
entire population of beaked whales disappeared.  In September 2002, there
were mass strandings of whales in the Canary Islands and the Gulf of
California due to military sonar and an acoustic geological survey,
respectively.  And yet the Navy was still going to use active sonar.
 
Low Frequency Active sonar (LFA) produces 235 decibels, enough to
destroy mammals' eardrums, cause their lungs to hemorrhage, and even kill
them.  40 miles away, at 165 decibels, the sonar is enough to cause
disorientation, memory loss and seizures in human divers.  At 300 miles
away, 140 decibels is still hundreds of times higher than the level at
which grey whales begin leaving their migration paths to avoid the sound.
The sonar is on the same frequency which humpback whales use for
communicating with their amazing songs.
 
The Humane Society, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the League for
Coastal Protection, the Cetacean Society International, and the Ocean
Futures Society have filed suit in federal court to block the navy from
testing and deploying LFA sonar in 75% of the world's oceans.  On October
31, Judge Elizabeth LaPorte granted a preliminary injunction against the
immediate deployment (which was scheduled for Nov. 5) of LFA sonar.
 
But the case is not yet over, so I hope you will check it out for
yourselves and lend your support in whatever form you can.  Visit the
Natural Resources Defense Council site for more information.
http://www.nrdc.org
 
One thing they suggest is to: Tell the Navy not to deploy noise-producing
LFA sonar, which poses an unacceptable risk to marine mammals around the
world.
 
Send an email message to the Navy at their site:
http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/marine/nlfa.asp
 
Fax the Navy: 703-697-8921 or 703-695-5318
 
Or write to:  Hon. Gordon R. England
              Secretary of the Navy
              1000 Navy Pentagon
              Washington, DC 20350-1000
 
As always, reasonable emails, faxes and letters have more weight than
ranting and raving.  Be firm, but be polite :)
 
Blessings
Judith
[Posted in FML issue 3965]