STRUGGLES AND TRIUMPHS FROM AROUND THE WORLD |
New dangers are emerging from Washington to threaten our coastlines and marine wildlife |
The Navy's Northwest Training Complex expasion. |
New offshore oil and gas lease sales off California. |
Two permits for wave energy studies, one off Mendocino, the other off Fort Bragg. |
SAVE OUR OCEAN! |
The NWTC expansion would convert 122,000 square nautical miles of ocean along the
coast off Washington, Oregon, and Northern California from civilian use
to a military training Operations Area. The activities would include simulated
sea battles with live artillery and] missile fire, undersea guided missile submarine
training including depth charges, air warfare operations including bombing
and missile launches, and research and development of the unmanned drones now
being used in Pakistan. One particular feature of this project is an increase
in midrange SONAR emissions known to cause whale beachings around the Pacific Rim. |
MMS offshore oil and gas lease sales have been made off California, including virtually
the entire Mendocino County coast from Point Arena to Cape Mendocino; and
two in the Los Angeles area from Santa Barbara to Oceanside. Despite the well
known environmental dangers of offshore oil, and the long history of resistence
to such projects off the California coast, Federal and corporate agencies have
vowed to make this plan a reality. |
While the environmental impacts of these new power sources are unknown, the studies
will involve potential major disruptions to marine life on the California Coast. |
On March 31st, President Obama outlined a plan to open huge areas of the atlantic
and alaskan coastlines to new oil and natural gas drilling- a move that will endanger
sensitive wildlife and increase the USA's dependence on petroleum at a
time when sustainable energy alternatives are crucial. |
