Navy, environmentalists settle sonar lawsuit

[Judi Lynn]

Source: MSNBC/Associated Press

Navy, environmentalists settle sonar lawsuit
Groups charged that sonar hurts whales and other marine mammals
updated 33 minutes ago

HONOLULU - The Navy has settled a lawsuit filed by environmentalists challenging its use of sonar in hundreds of submarine-hunting exercises around the world.

The Navy said Saturday the deal reached with the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups requires it to continue to research how sonar affects whales and other marine mammals.

It doesn't require sailors to adopt additional measures to protect the animals when they use sonar.

~snip~
But last month, in a ruling on a NRDC lawsuit challenging the Navy's sonar training exercises off Southern California, the Supreme Court ruled that military training trumps protecting whales.

Chief Justice Roberts wrote forcing the Navy to deploy an inadequately trained anti-submarine fleet would jeopardize the safety of the fleet. He also wrote it was unclear how many marine mammals the Navy's sonar exercises might harm.





Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28403948 /

[Chulanowa]

1. An anti-submarine fleet?

Sigh. The people in charge of our war machine are still living in 1947.

[hack89]

4. You don't think submarines are a threat to the Navy?

in today's world they are the largest threat out their - there is a reason every nation that can afford them is buying the latest submarines available.

[hunter]

6. No Navy, no threat...

I think we should be striving for the international equivalent of the U.S. Coast Guard, which would mostly be concerned with issues of piracy, safety, and the illegal trade of arms, drugs, toxic waste, endangered plant and animal species, etc.

Things like aircraft carriers or nuclear submarines are the modern day equivalent of the Great Wall of China or the Maginot Line.

When the post World War II United States economy collapses (as it appears to be doing now) the largest contributing factor will be the resources wasted by our "defense" industry.

[hack89]

7. Did you get your unicorn for Christmas? nt

[hunter]

8. I'm patient.

[hack89]

9. A rare and valuable quality in these times.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. They could dress up the whales with ground effects and stuff to

make them look like subs, then they would have something to hunt.... or perhaps give them something to fight back with to make it interesting... I'm just about sure the ocean gods are filled with joy to see this sort of shit.

[Speciesamused]

3. War trumps our planet?

Whales are an intricate part of our circle of life.
Idiotic indeed that war games are put before
the environment we rely on for sustaining life.

[rcsl1998]

11. Neocon Logic Says 'Sure!' Bush Said "Money Trumps Peace" At A Presser A Couple Of Years Back

The silence from the M$M was deafening...

[crikkett]

5. oh for crying out loud

'Chief Justice Roberts ... also wrote it was unclear how many marine mammals the Navy's sonar exercises might harm.'

How about "all of them"

[truedelphi]

10. Wouldn't it be nice to put these people into a sound proof

Chamber for 24/7 and just blast them with heavy duty "industrial" music - no ear plugs allowed.

[DissedByBush]

12. Can I volunteer?

Industrial music fan since the mid 80s.

[cali]

13. So sad.

I know Lisa Speer, the Director of the Oceans Project at NRDC was sick over this.