What We're Reading

Just some numbers on sonic cannon mapping I thought were interesting after the Obama administration announced approval for use of sonic cannons off of the Eastern US coast for geological survey purposes; much to the dismay of environmentalists and people who owe their livelihoods to fisheries and tourism.  Energy companies however, need the data as they prepare to apply for drilling leases in 2018, when current congressional limits expire.

The cannons create noise pollution in waters shared by whales, dolphins and turtles, sending sound waves many times louder than a jet engine reverberating through the deep every ten seconds for weeks or monthly at a time.

They are already used in the western Gulf of Mexico, off Alaska and in other offshore oil operations around the world. They are towed behind boats, sending down pulses of sound that reverberate beneath the sea floor and rebound to the surface. Hydrophones capture the results, which computers translate into high resolution, three-dim

The Obama administration has approved the use of sonic cannons to explore for oil and gas off the Eastern Shore using seismic survey ships which tow airguns that emit underwater explosions over thousands of miles along the coast.  These blast results would transform into a survey of the seabed floor to reveal potential drill sites.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Friday formally approved guidelines for using air cannons along the Eastern seaboard in the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Delaware.  Energy companies could buy new oil and gas leases and begin drilling in 2018 if they find profitable reserves.

The guidelines are meant to protect endangered whales and other creatures from the loud noises and increased vessel traffic, but the government's environmental impact study estimates that more than 138,000 sea creatures could be harmed.

The decision opens an area of the Eastern Seaboard larger than two California's to exploration for the first time in decades, jeopardizing (