I write in response to Rick Russo’s letter “Be factual not emotional about wind energy.” While I appreciate that Mr. Russo is “not a fan of wind,” his beef with “our gang of wind turbine protestors” is as misplaced as his knowledge of the SouthCoast and Revolution wind projects is hazy.

That he is not well-informed on these projects or on what was said at the Portsmouth Island Park rally about the recent whale and dolphin deaths is not his fault. Most Rhode Island/Massachusetts residents have very little idea of how massive offshore wind development along our coast will affect marine life, commercial fisheries, viewsheds, and property values. Most have not heard much at all about the 45 whales (humpbacks, sperm, minkes and two North Atlantic right whales) and over 40 dolphins who’ve washed up dead or dying since December.

The blame for such broad public ignorance lies with a mainstream media that endlessly regurgitates wind industry talking points. Perhaps this overt bias is because the editorial staff of the New York Times, Boston Globe, Providence Journal, and cable and network news truly do think industrializing the Atlantic seaboard with thousands of 900-foot high wind turbines is the most effective way to address climate change. Then again, perhaps it’s because huge amounts of industry advertising dollars and political pandering are involved.

Mr. Russo’s commentary indicates he did not attend the rally but relied on the Portsmouth Times’ portrayal of what I and others said, specific to the possible effects of high-resolution geophysical surveying and high-voltage cabling on marine life. Times Editor Jim McGaw (husband of pro-wind RI State Rep Michelle McGaw) omitted the factual foundation on which I built my presentation, that being NOAA’s authorization for wind companies to “take” (i.e., harass, injure, or cause the death of) over 700,000 marine mammals during their surveying operations.

NOAA’s incidental harassment authorization for SouthCoast states: “This IHA authorizes take incidental to marine site characterization surveys in coastal waters off Massachusetts, as specified in SouthCoast Wind’s IHA application.”

Even as NOAA continues to maintain “there is no evidence” that the surveys are related to the whale and dolphin strandings (and as Mr. McGaw parrots this incongruency in his version of my rally remarks), it is handing out take authorizations like razor-spiked Halloween candy.

As for Mr. Russo’s admonition to be “factual not emotional,” I would remind him that speaking from the heart does not preclude speaking the truth.

On June 6 Vineyard Wind began pile driving operations south of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Within days two humpback whales and a dolphin washed up on south-facing beaches, near Chappaquiddick. Southfork Wind located only 20 miles from Vineyard Wind began pile driving on the 16th.

The carnage is only beginning for us here on the South Coast. I suspect witnessing the death and destruction will indeed be emotional for those who value marine life over political expediency and industry profits, and who do not for one moment believe NOAA’s flimflam.

Constance Gee

Westport