The US Supreme court has overturned restrictions on the use of sonar. At the start of the millennium a coalition of environmental groups won a legal action that placed restrictions on the use of sonar during training in the most environmentally sensitive areas.
However, this has now been overturned in a 12th November ruling in the Supreme court, citing National Security. In a 5-4 decision that was not based on the scientific evidence the court ruled that the Navy needs to carry out exercises in a realistic way. I.E. As they would in war.
The damaging effect of sonar on whales and dolphins is well documented, and you would have thought that the US Government and the Department of Defence could have found way of providing realistic training that was not destroying the environment.
With fish stocks collapsing, the seas so polluted by nitrates that there are vast areas of dead ocean, the seas acidifying because of raised carbon dioxide, you would think that the US government would have stopped this case going to court and tried to find ways of not killing more whales.
Well if there was any reason why Bush et al should go then this is it, and good riddance.
How the Story was reported in Science (The Scientific Journal)
Another Giant Leaves Us
8 months ago
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1 comment:
Yeah that stunk. The courts always side with the Navy on that one. At least the environmentalists tried- but I figured it would be futile.
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