Acoustic Rape: Why Wind Turbine Construction Noise Kills Whales

The relationship between offshore wind turbine construction noise and marine mammal fatalities is now incontrovertible: Wind Industry’s Wanton Whale Slaughter Caused by Constant Deafening Construction Noise

The underwater cacophony created during offshore construction is laid out in Michael Shellenberger’s documentary Thrown To The Wind (see the video below) and this post: US Govt Lying About Offshore Wind Industry’s Whale Slaughter

The biology we share with marine mammals, like whales, dolphins and porpoises provides the perfect point of comparison regarding the natural response to loud and terrifying noise. That cetaceans have become confused, anxious, if not terrified, by the underwater cacophony created during the construction of these things offshore should come as no surprise to human beings. At least those gifted with a sense of empathy and compassion. People like Calvin Luther Martin, that is.

In this piece, Calvin draws the obvious link that the wind industry is so desperate to avoid.

Acoustic Rape
Calvin Luther Martin
River City Malone
4 September 2024

Are you aware that many whales and dolphins have washed up — dead — along the NJ coast and points north, since April 2024?

The reason is undoubtedly from the pressure-wave (also known as “acoustic”) assault on Cetus (whales and dolphins) vestibular organs of “hearing” and “behavior” by the wind companies, who use (pressure-wave) blasting to scan the ocean floor, followed by (pressure-wave) blasting for installing the turbines, followed by (pressure-wave) infrasound from operational turbines.

This image shows vividly what the wind companies are doing (or will do) to these creatures off the coast of NJ, Montauk NY, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard MA. I call it “acoustic rape.”

The image, above, combines Dr. Nina Pierpont’s research into human Wind Turbine Syndrome, with what one might now call Cetus (whale, porpoise) WTS. (Pronounced, “See-tus.”)

Cetus has the same inner ear organs we humans have. See the image to the left. (Note the inner ear, vestibular apparatus superimposed on the whale image, above, precisely where Cetus’s ear is located.) What Cetus doesn’t have is a middle ear like ours. Ours has an air space; Cetus’s middle ear does not have an air space.

Human outer, middle and inner ear structures

Human and whale & dolphin inner ear (vestibular) structures

The key with Cetus is this: Pressure waves affect its hearing (inner ear: cochlea) and motion/position/depth sense (inner ear: saccule and utricle). Undoubtedly, the whale’s “mood” is also affected by saccular and utricular perturbation/dysfunction.

By “mood” I mean behavior akin to “depression” and “despair” and “anxiety” and “panic” in humans. Yes, there is a well-established link in Homo between vestibular dysfunction and anxiety and panic. There’s no reason to think this doesn’t occur in Cetus with similar perturbation — as from marine “pile driving” and construction “explosions” and the infrasound from operational wind turbines. Note that the turbine infrasound penetrates the water and sea-floor itself, since the turbine is firmly embedded in the sea-floor.

Humans share these inner ear structures with loads of other species, including amphibians (frogs) and fish. This signals us that these inner ear structures are an ancient evolutionary adaptation by Mother Nature—God, if you prefer.

How does all this result in whales and dolphins winding up dead on the Atlantic seashore? It seems to have to do with their depth sense going bonkers; that is, they don’t know how deep they are as they navigate the corridors of the sea. All these sea mammals are air breathers, unlike fish who breathe through their gills. Whales and dolphins have to surface for a breath of air.

Dr. Pierpont, a PhD (Princeton) biologist, suggests that a dysfunctional vestibular system (“depth” gauge) results in their taking a gulp of air too early—thus gulping water—and literally drowning, the same way you and I (we, too, are mammals) will drown when we swallow water.

The way to confirm this, of course, is by doing autopsies on the beached whales and dolphins. Problem is, Uncle Sam isn’t revealing the autopsy reports.

Until this happens, the reasons for the mysterious deaths remain conjectural, although, as I say, a dysregulated vestibular apparatus is virtually certainly involved in something going terribly wrong. (Note that these creatures show no outward, physical signs of trauma. Nor do they show signs of being ill, as with an infection.)

It’s time for the outrage against this acoustic violence to be dialed up. This must stop! (There are numerous ad hoc groups along the Atlantic coast who are up in arms over these deaths. They know it’s from the wind companies’ blasting and turbine infrasound.)

I often ask myself how Dr. Martin Luther King would orchestrate this outrage. King remains my role model and inspiration in matters of unpopular justice.

River City Malone