Whales win against Navy.

[Rainbowreflect]

I did not see this posted yet, hope it is not a dupe.

Dear NRDC BioGems Defender,

A federal court has just handed down its decision in our case against
the U.S.
Navy and I wanted you to be the first to hear the great news. In a
resounding
victory for whales and other marine mammals, the court ruled that it
will bar
the Navy from deploying its high-intensity LFA sonar system across most
of the
world's oceans.

The LFA (Low Frequency Active) sonar system would have blasted hundreds
of
thousands of square miles of ocean habitat with noise so intense it can
maim,
deafen and even kill whales. In her historic ruling, Judge LaPorte
agreed with
NRDC that the sonar's booming noise could "irreparably harm" the marine
environment and threaten the very survival of endangered populations of
whales,
sea turtles and other marine species.

Judge LaPorte has ordered the Navy to begin negotiations with NRDC on a
plan
for safely testing the sonar system in a limited area.

This is truly a banner day for the Earth's environment. The court has
granted a
life-saving reprieve to dozens of species of magnificent marine
mammals. But
its ruling also sends a message loud and clear to the White House that
it is
not above our nation's environmental laws. The Bush administration
trampled all
over those laws when it gave the Navy a blank check to operate the
deadly LFA
sonar system virtually anywhere in the world.

It's also a banner day for hundreds of thousands of NRDC members and
activists
like you. When we began this fight eight years ago, we were told that
our
chances of stopping the military's classified LFA program were slim to
none.
But that conventional wisdom seriously underestimated the collective
power of a
determined citizenry.

Your financial contributions and online activism fueled an NRDC legal
strategy
that prevailed, in the end, over the world's most powerful military
establishment. There is no finer example of democracy in action.

The fight to protect our oceans against high-intensity sonar is not
over. The
Navy could appeal the court's ruling. And right now the Bush
administration is
trying to get exemptions for the Navy from some of the very
environmental laws
NRDC used to block deployment of the LFA system. With your help, NRDC
will do
everything it can to ensure that these efforts do not succeed.

But all that lies ahead. For today, at least, we've won a significant
victory,
one worth savoring and celebrating. On behalf of our entire legal team,
I want
to thank you for coming to the defense of marine mammals around the
world.

Sincerely,

John H. Adams
President
Natural Resources Defense Council

NRDC Press Release: http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/030826.asp
Washington Post story:
http://www.nrdc.org/news/newsDetails.asp?nID=1075

. . .

BioGems: Saving Endangered Wild Places
A project of the Natural Resources Defense Council
http://www.savebiogems.org

[bahrbearian]

1. So far

But all that lies ahead. For today, at least, we've won a significant victory.
Wait until Chimpy tell's us their enabling terroism.

[Divernan]

2. "When we began this fight eight years ago. . . "

I am very happy about this decision, and I would like to forward this to all my scuba diving friends and acquaintances, which include a number of conservative/GOPers who are still trying to blame Clinton for Bush's screwups. I particularly like that this letter states: "The Bush administration trampled all over those laws when it gave the Navy a blank check to operate the deadle LFA sonar system virtually anywhere in the world."

But later there's a reference to "When we began this fight eight years ago . . .", which puts the origin of this deadly program squarely in the Clinton years. So the conservatives will throw that in my face and say Bush was just continuing what Clinton started. And that may be the case, but I am hoping someone can give me some more history on this program. Was it a small experimental program under Clinton, and then Bush went whole hog with it, despite evidence of damage to marine life? I'd appreciate a link/cite, if such is the case.

[Bandit]

4. Clinton agreed to a lot of GOP crap

He was IMHO the best Republican president we have had since Lincoln.

[arcane1]

6. aw, let them defend their chimp with Clinton comparisons

we'll laugh in their faces! :evilgrin:

This is great news and MUCH needed!!

:bounce:

[Butterflies]

3. It so nice to have a victory for a change!

Of course it'll be appealed, so the fight will continue. Like with drilling in ANWR - it keeps being voted against, but they keep bringing it up again and again and again.

[cosmicdot]

5. this is a major story

:kick: