Offshore wind project foes here and elsewhere are turning to concerns about whales in efforts to stop massive projects off the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts. They claim, minus evidence, that surveys off the coasts of Delaware and other states led to whales being washed up on beaches.
Leading the charge is Lewes resident David Stevenson, a longtime critic of Delaware energy policy the liberterian-leaning Glasgow-based Caesar Rodney Institute public policy group.
There was a time when Stevenson supported offshore activities in the form of drilling for oil and gas. Somewhere along the line, he turned to the supposed dangers of wind power. He is now crusading against the growing momentum of offshore wind, combining concern for marine life, with worries about ocean views ruined by wind turbine towers. Taking a back seat are earlier arguments about offshore wind being too expensive, a legitimate talking point.
Wind power advocates claim that Caesar Rodney and groups in other states are bankrolled or heavily influenced by the oil and gas industry. There is also the case of popular Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson who has suddenly become an advocate for an endangered species as he attacks any initiative of the Biden Administration, including support for Ukraine.
At the same time, there are groups without ties to Carlson or right-leaning public policy organizations that accuse mainstream environmental organizations of playing the same game and being influenced by contributions from the offshore wind industry.
The hope of opponents is to unite various groups to halt the growing momentum toward offshore wind technology that has strong support away from the coasts.
It is interesting to note that save the whale groups of all stripes appear to discount other factors such as collisions with ocean vessels, warmer ocean temperatures, and becoming entangled in fishing gear as factors in the recent wave of whale strandings. Cracking down on commercial fishing and navigation practices would take away key allies in the fight against offshore wind. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.
There was a time when Stevenson supported offshore activities in the form of drilling for oil and gas. Somewhere along the line, he turned to claims of the dangers of wind power. He is now crusading against the growing momentum of offshore wind, combining a concern for marine life, with worries about ocean views ruined by wind turbine towers. Taking a back seat are earlier arguments about offshore wind being too expensive, a legitimate talking point.
Wind power advocates claim that Caesar Rodney and groups in other states are bankrolled or heavily influenced by the oil and gas industry. There is also the case of the popular Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson who morphed into an advocate for an endangered species as he attacked any anything related to the Biden Administration.
At the same time, there are groups without ties to Carlson or right-leaning public policy organizations that accuse mainstream environmental organizations of playing the same game and being influenced by contributions from the offshore wind industry.
The hope of opponents is to unite various factions left and right to halt the growing momentum toward offshore wind technology that has strong support away from the coasts.
It is interesting to note that save the whale groups of all stripes appear to discount other factors such as collisions with ocean vessels, warmer ocean temperatures, and becoming entangled in fishing gear as factors in the recent wave of whale strandings. Cracking down on commercial fishing and navigation practices would take away key allies in the fight against offshore wind. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.
