Expert fires back at conspiracy theory about massive structures built off US coastline: 'No links whatsoever'

Wind energy projects provide clean power to communities while helping combat rising global temperatures. However, despite these benefits, misinformation still surrounds the wind industry. 

One recent Reddit post left commenters frustrated after a user shared a conspiracy theory regarding the construction of wind turbines. The original poster said that wind turbines along the coastline are causing whale deaths. 

According to Scientific American, there is no evidence that indicates wind turbines are causing an increase in whale deaths. In fact, Duke University marine scientist Douglas Nowacek told Scientific American that there are "no links whatsoever between the offshore wind development activity and especially the humpback whale mortalities. None. Zero."

Furthermore, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conducted post-mortem examinations on 90 whales found along the East Coast since 2016 and found that 40% of the whale deaths were linked to human interactions, reported BBC. Fishing nets and large boats both pose a threat to whales and can accidentally harm and even kill them. 

The Reddit post is a stark reminder of the danger of misinformation and the importance of spreading awareness. In today's digital age, there is an oversaturation of information on the web, and it can be both challenging and exhausting sifting through what's true and what's false.

Reddit users refuted the OP's false claims and urged other users to fact-check their claims before posting a rant. 

"You have a lot of emotion to express but you fail to explain how a wind turbine that is way up in the sky is able to kill a whale that lives in the water," responded one Redditor. "You're making a classic correlation vs. causation mistake."

One user emphasized how drawing false claims happens on both sides and is important to avoid. "It isn't good when people who are concerned about climate change leap to claim that every bad environmental thing is due to climate change," they wrote. "Making the same sort of leap with wind turbines causing problems is also not good."

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