Sound Pollution: 'Dishonorable Discharge'
Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book Silent Spring (published 1962) filled our hearts with dread. What if human disregard of the impact of putting DDT in the soil caused the death of song birds? Who would want to live in that song less land.
Once again, the importance of sound enters the picture. This time, it is about the exponential increase of sound being discharged in our oceans and how that is affecting marine life and whales and dolphins in particular. Airguns used in oil exploration, low frequency sonar used by the Navy, supertankers traversing all oceans are creating this rising wall of noise that is directly affecting (let’s just use this one example) the ability of humpback whales to find mates, communicate across great distances and discern migration paths. Speaking to the upside of what hearing affords us, if there is a more hauntingly beautiful sound than the long and complex songs of the humpbacks, I don’t know what that is. If they cannot breed and be at peace, we will lose that beautiful backdrop to ocean life. To me, that is an unbearable thought.
The queen of the oceans, the inimitable Dr. Sylvia Earle is quoted as saying: “Undersea noise pollution is like the death of a thousand cuts.” There is much we can do to voice our concerns. Rachel Carsen’s book allowed her lone voice to make all the difference. Below is one of many links you can utilize to decide how to get your voice out there if you are so moved . . . for our cousins in the sea.
Once again, the importance of sound enters the picture. This time, it is about the exponential increase of sound being discharged in our oceans and how that is affecting marine life and whales and dolphins in particular. Airguns used in oil exploration, low frequency sonar used by the Navy, supertankers traversing all oceans are creating this rising wall of noise that is directly affecting (let’s just use this one example) the ability of humpback whales to find mates, communicate across great distances and discern migration paths. Speaking to the upside of what hearing affords us, if there is a more hauntingly beautiful sound than the long and complex songs of the humpbacks, I don’t know what that is. If they cannot breed and be at peace, we will lose that beautiful backdrop to ocean life. To me, that is an unbearable thought.
The queen of the oceans, the inimitable Dr. Sylvia Earle is quoted as saying: “Undersea noise pollution is like the death of a thousand cuts.” There is much we can do to voice our concerns. Rachel Carsen’s book allowed her lone voice to make all the difference. Below is one of many links you can utilize to decide how to get your voice out there if you are so moved . . . for our cousins in the sea.