2 thoughts on “Be smart”

  1. or, in this case, avoid people altogether:

    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/06/MNF91O00OE.DTL

    Peru’s thousands of beached dolphins a mystery
    (from article)
    “Now, the death toll could be as high as 2,800, based on volunteers’ counts. Peru’s enormous dolphin die-off is among the largest ever reported worldwide. The strandings, which began in January, are a marine mystery that may never be unraveled. Experts say the causes could be acoustic impact from testing for oil, or perhaps an unknown virus or other pathogen. Little marine research takes place in Peru, and even in the United States, of 55 marine mammal strandings since 1991, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has classified 29 as “undetermined.”

    All of the 20 or so animals Yaipén has examined showed middle-ear hemorrhage and fracture of the ear’s periotic bone, lung lesions and bubbles in the blood. To him, that suggests that a major acoustic impact caused injury, but not immediate death. Most of the dolphins apparently were alive when they beached, or had died very recently.

    Other experts say there is not enough evidence to draw a conclusion.

    Yaipén, founder of Lima’s Scientific Organization for the Conservation of Aquatic Animals, knows of no studies of pollutants in Peru’s marine mammals. After sick and dead bottlenose dolphins washed up on the Louisiana coast recently, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management ordered an oil and gas exploration company to suspend seismic testing – which uses air guns to map hydrocarbon deposits on the ocean floor – until May, when calving season ends.

    Several oil leases under exploration are off the coast or Peru where the dolphin strandings occurred, but it was not clear whether seismic testing was under way.

    Studies have linked loud ocean noises to ear and organ damage in marine mammals. Sounds can also change behaviors such as dive patterns – which can result in decompression sickness or “the bends” – or drive them closer to shore, where they could beach if they were disoriented.”

  2. The “political correctness” whine is back, I see. The conservative bugaboo that every crank, mysogonist, racist or plain dumb idea is beyond reproach by virtue of the first amendment and should be enshrined on a pedestal. If you fail to so celebrate my ideation, you oppress me.

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