Navy Nuking Nature

I know some of my readers are very politically conservative Americans. We differ in areas because of that. We also agree in some areas, if you will notice.

There are some areas like this one where we may appear to disagree on the surface, but when you examine things more closely we probably will actually agree. Please don't decide ahead of time whether you agree with me or not. We all have to change at times. With the world and the United States in such a bad state, we all need to be flexible.

I just signed a petition to ask our government not to let the Navy torture and kill marine mammals like whales and dolphins with practice with weapons including explosives and sonar. I think we are spending way too much money on military stuff when we need that money at home.

We have perfectly good computer equipment that lets the military practice cheaper and with less damage to natural resources that we also need.

Here is my email text, the beginning in red is my own words, the canned part follows: 


This is really not necessary. The military has completely adequate computer training equipment that will get our sailors in top notch condition for whatever they have to deal with. We do not need to further deplete scarce wildlife or cause needless suffering and death. Besides, we are running out of everything to maintain the military infrastructure to continue acting as world police force. We need that money to take care of our citizens at home and work on our infrastructure inside the USA.

Please stop this senseless waste of money and natural resources.

I am stunned that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has proposed authorizing the Navy to carry out training and testing with sonar and explosives that will inflict unprecedented harm on marine mammals over the next five years. 

Your agency is charged with protecting our marine mammal populations. Yet, under your proposal, the Navy will be allowed to injure and harass them more than 31 million times. That includes more than 13,000 permanent injuries and nearly 350 deaths. These numbers are particularly shocking as they take into account the Navy's so-called "protective measures." The Navy's original Environmental Review predicted more than 1,000 deaths.

This staggering toll is unconscionable and unacceptable, especially because your proposals do not impose time and area limitations on the Navy's activities. In fact, your agency has proposed no measures whatsoever that would significantly reduce the harm inflicted upon whales and other marine mammals. As you know, protecting important marine mammal habitat is recognized to be the most effective measure available, yet the Fisheries Service fails to independently set aside any areas where Navy operations should be limited.

Your agency has a legal obligation to minimize harm to marine mammals. I therefore call on you to put areas with high concentrations of marine mammals off-limits to the Navy's sonar and explosives. Safeguarding marine mammals during routine training and testing will not compromise military readiness. Please begin demanding such measures at once.

Here is a link where you can and will sign the petition, I hope:
http://www.savebiogems.org/?__utma=1.574987999.1362090707.1362090707.1362090707.1&__utmb=1.1.10.1362090707&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1362090707.1.1.utmcsr=link|utmccn=email|utmcmd=alert&__utmv=-&__utmk=58234410

Yes, I am a sort of "tree hugger", but protecting wildlife protects us. We literally can't live without it.