Active Sonar
By Nicola Grobe
Active sonar is a loudspeaker device which the US Navy uses to detect submarines in the world's oceans. The devices send out a sound as loud as 240 decibels, the same volume as a dynamite blast. It reaches thousands of miles far in every direction in the ocean. Water is an acoustic medium and tests have shown that loud sound can travel from Russia to the Gulf of Mexico and from Heard Island, Australia to Coos Bay, Oregon.
Even 100 miles away from the source, the active sonar has a volume of 160 decibels, loud enough to cause permanent hearing damage in humans. Particularly ocean mammals like whales and dolphins are affected by this sound. When ocean mammals get into the peripheral range of the sound, the active sonar causes them to become disoriented to the degree that they swim into the wrong direction, lose contact to other whales, and it can cause them to wash on shore and die from dehydration. The active sonar sound has the same frequency as the sonar which the whales use to communicate with one another. Their communication is very important for their survival. The whales’ and dolphins' systems are overwhelmed with high volume sounds. Whales experience high stress, hearing loss, reproductive impairments, immune dysfunctions and mental debilitation, if they are exposed to active sonar even in the peripheral range of the sound source.
If the whales are closer to the sound source, they become very scared and rise up to the surface too fast, which causes decompression sickness. Nitrogen in their internal tissue expands and causes injuries to their organs. If they are yet in closer proximity to the active sonar sound source then the sound will cause severe hemorrhage in their organs, particularly in their ear drums and lungs. The blood vessels in their ear drums and lungs burst and cause the animals to bleed to death internally.
Throughout the years the US Navy has conducted active sonar tests in different parts of the world's oceans and everywhere they tested these devices, whales from different species were found dead. Post mortem examinations revealed that the whales had hemorrhaging in ears and lungs.
Against protests, court decisions, and even against environmental laws, the US Navy continues to test active sonar in the oceans. In 2002 a judge pointed out that the Bush administration’s permit for the use of LFA Sonar, which is one of the most lethal types of the active sonar systems, violates a number of federal laws including the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. The judge also agreed that science clearly demonstrates "the possibility, indeed probability, of irreparable injury" to ocean mammals, if LFA Sonar would be deployed widely.
After one initial court ruling in favor of the environmental organizations, the US Navy was not allowed to test the LFA Sonar system during the whales’ migration periods, the test range was reduced to less than 1% of the originally approved range, and tests were narrowed down to the eastern seaboard of Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, an area of about 1.5 million square miles, and the tests were not permitted within the 30 to 60 miles coastline range.
But all restrictions become invalid in times of war. War is the loop hole for the weapon manufacturing industry. Bush and Cheney gave the US Navy a permit to use their sonar systems in 75% of the world’s oceans.
A vast dying of sea animals would have a huge impact and domino effect on our ecosystems in the ocean as well as on land. Damage to the eco systems would imply damage to all life on Earth including humans.
The US Navy has been constantly seeking exemptions from the laws they are breaking. They have now modified the Marine Mammal Protection Act and other laws so that they can deploy and test active sonar and other technologies more widely. The Defense Department is becoming exempt from provisions of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Supreme Court keeps on ruling in favor of the US Navy even though the opposition has scientific proof of active sonar's lethal effects on whales.
Bill Clinton and Al Gore had outlawed active sonar during their administration. George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Barack Obama and Joe Biden have given the US Navy permission to deploy and test those destructive active sonar devices. Today the US Navy is even testing the active sonar and other lethal weapons and devices in the Pacific ocean in the socalled North West Training Range. Numerous objections and protests have taken place in court rooms and in written form. But no matter how many people have pleaded with the US Navy and the US government not to deploy and test the destructive devices, the US government allows the use of active sonar and several other highly damaging technologies.
Active sonar is unnecessary and extremely cruel. It can be replaced by satellites, which detect submarines even more accurately, but without doing harm to ocean life. It is important that every person who cares about the whales, the dolphins, all ocean life and the environment, sends letters to President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, senators, governors and congress people to urge them to speak out against the deployment and testing of the active sonar and other destructive devices.
Active sonar and the other life damaging technologies have to be completely outlawed worldwide by the entire International community. This Earth belongs to all of us. Let us protect all life on Earth.
Information sources:
nrdc.org; greenpeaceusa.org; The research paper "Sounding the Depths" written by a panel of international marine biologists warning about the effects of active sonar and under water mining operations, on marine mammals. This research paper is free to download.
