Society & Culture
In the summer of 2014, President Obama gave the green light for oil and gas exploration off the Atlantic coast—a complete reversal in Obama’s 2008 campaign platform. Today, nine applications for seismic airgun testing are under consideration at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Seismic testing—sometimes known more graphically as “seismic airgun blasting”—is a technology that maps oil and gas deposits in the ocean. The process involves sonic bursts in 10 second intervals that continue for days, weeks, and sometimes months. The “bursts” are 100,000 times more intense than a jet engine. The consequences of seismic testing have manifested in locations across the world: drastically reduced fishery numbers; marine animal deaths, behavioral disruptions, and breeding interruptions; and job elimination. In St. Augustine, Florida, the Matanzas Riverkeeper and Oceana are two organizations opposed to the proposed seismic testing. Joined by coalition members like the Florida Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club and Surfrider, they’re calling on Florida’s elected officials to take a stance on this potentially devastating sonic blasting. Visit www.watershedradio.com for more.