— from Susan Shannon —
About 35 people attended an info meeting in Eastsound on Thursday, November 14 presented by the Sound Defense Alliance, who updated us about the Growler issue.
Nearly all the meeting attendees reported being affected by the sound of the Growlers –some citing exacerbation of PTSD symptoms, some physical disruptions such as visceral vibrations due to the low hum, some sensitivity to the onslaught of EMFs when the Growlers fly, but nearly all of us a general anxiety about the constant rumble. The entire island was represented as well, with attendees living in various locations. Many were very upset by the constant sound of the Growlers on this exact day, the sound which had not let up at all (my own experience as well.)
It is only going to get worse, according to expert presenters Larry Morrell and Rhea Miller. Step by step, they outlined the grim picture of what is ahead for us if we, as a people, don’t can’t or won’t mobilize against it. A large part of Orcas is included in the area where the Growlers will be in holding pattern till they can land — which will become more frequent as the flights increase. Bigger engines are being put into the existing Growlers which will make them even louder; a huge increase of flights has been approved.
Morrell and Miller presented a great deal of information regarding the health risks we all are vulnerable to. This is not only an issue for the people who can hear them, this is an issue for all forms of life above and below the sea in this region. The low sound frequency does its damage whether you can hear it or not. Hearing loss, anxiety, headaches, decreased mental function, increased stress level (as was clearly spoken at the meeting) and more.
The potential environmental loss is monumental. Imagine our islands without bees, frogs, eagles, deer, owls. Imagine our islands where even cows, sheep, horses, and dogs suffer due to their even more sensitive nervous systems than ours. Imagine our islands where the beautiful trees continue to die not from logging or drought but from the unregulated bombardment of EMF’s from the unregulated number of Growlers flying over. Imagine our islands without salmon or Orcas. They are already being affected, as the low rumble of the Growlers occurs at an extremely low frequency which has been measured up to 100 feet into our waters. Imagine our islands where one must wear earplugs or noise cancelling headphones while outside. (Perhaps listening to recorded bird songs as we will have lost our birds — just like many other places in our world attacked by the sleuthing acts of environmental violence.)
Right now, as you are reading this, people in Coupeville are forced into wearing earplugs or noise cancelling headphones INSIDE their own homes as the Growlers fly unregulated overhead.
Morrell and Miller presented hope as well. Regional groups have formed across the NW and are working together to inform their local representatives of the problem. Veterans have come together to push for the return of quiet, peaceful skies. Our WA Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed a lawsuit against the US Navy over the proposed expansion of Growler jet activity.
We all need to act now, regardless of how many other causes you are involved with. This issue is so much more complex than simply the disruption of peace.
It is a violent threat to our entire environment. I hope everyone reading this will visit the Quiet Skies over San Juan County website at www.quietskies.info, watch the videos, write postcards or letters, contact your newly elected officials, and find ways you can to stand up to this assault which is going to rob us of the lifestyle we’ve been drawn to and need to continue to preserve.
To one man’s comment last night, “Who is the enemy here?” I say, can we as a community transcend that binary perspective? It is only US now, humans, feathered, fur, scales, leaves etc. We’re all in this together.
At this meeting, Rhea also reminded me that San Juan County set up a reporting system. If you hear Growler noise, go to the County’s website at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/12b8ac72af94485d90086d94679d597e and record the incident. It’s going to take a lot of us speaking up to get the trajectory of this to change!
That jet noise is the sound of the Perpetual War Machine bankrupting America.
“Nobody is stealing your jobs, America. You spend too much on wars”. ~ Jack Mah, Founder – Alibaba Group
That jet noise is the sound of our sons and daughters training to defend US when needed.
I wish I had known about this meeting so I could have been there and gathered up some friends and neighbors, too. How can we be informed of future meetings or actions we can take? Thanks for the reminder about reporting to the county, Lisa.
I’m not opposed to our military being well-trained but should civilians be in harm’s way because of WHERE the training takes place? To argue that we must tolerate this harm is an argument of distraction. This is a big country, with lots of space. If we think it’s bad in the San Juan’s, the harm in Oak Harbor is immeasurably worse.
When I asked “Who’s the enemy?” I was asking, “Who are we at war with?” Last time I checked there were no active conflicts that required radar jamming. While I realize that the good cop/bad cop routine that Larry and Rhea have to play has some tactical effacacy and that constant pressure is needed to ‘change the trajectory’ the only way to penetrate the arrogance of the Navy is through the courts.
As previously noted, ‘the us military uses a whopping fifty percent of all fossill fuels, often in defense of oil oligarchies. This does not improve either our security orour well being.
The only way that NAS Whidbey becines a good nheigbor is by leaving. The only way we become a survivable community and nation is by opposing militarism.
There is an enemy and it is not just us but all who defend the indefensible.Would you trust avionics from Boeing and runaway militarism? None for me thanks,
It looks like we will all have a lot to report this week if you are inclined. The website above makes it so easy. I haven’t used the app on the phone but for you more into phones I’m sure it is simple. Below is the schedule of activity this week from Ault Field in Oak Harbor. Gonna be noisy this week…
Nov 18-22, 2019
Ault Field carrier operations:
Mon, Nov 18 Late Afternoon
Tues, Nov 19 Late Morning then Late Afternoon
Wed, Nov 20 Late Morning then Late Afternoon to Early Evening
Thurs, Nov 21 Late Afternoon
Fri, Nov 22 Late Morning
..what happens if we eliminate the need for planes in holding patterns, eg. with more efficient flight patterns &/or flight patterns managed for efficient transit over populous areas.
This debate over the “meaning” of the noise will go nowhere. Some data about the demands of military preparedness and effective management of flight patterns seems a lacking decision making tool in all of this. It could even help us shape our perception of the symbolism beyond our core biases. IMHO ..otherwise this issue is just troll-bait. Warmaking is the most destructive activity of the human race in every way. But just because we can’t stop doesn’t mean we can’t manage our disease.
What a well-thought, well written article with a lot of information; I’m sorry I missed the meeting. It is distressing to read that bigger engines are being retrofitted into existing Growlers (and to know that we will have 36 MORE Growlers over these lands and waters soon.) I didn’t consider what the extra EMFs are doing to us all, but have felt the effects: full-blown anxiety and fear, agitation, extreme depression and feeling invaded in the past several years with the much larger military presence; it’s frightening.
I hear the growlers at 1 a.m. sometimes. At times, when they fly closer to us, it sounds like a roaring hurricane. I’ve been to Oak Harbor; there are no words to describe the DEAFENING assault of that level of noise on one’s body and psyche when a growler flies directly overhead. My heart goes out to Whidbey residents and to all the non-human residents in our area and the Olympic National Forest without voice or representation. When will we have Rights of Nature?
I hope that Sound Defense Alliance will consider returningsoon, with a much larger turnout, and that we will mobilize to take consistent actions to stand up against this. The noise level is horrific, but the real issue is a military-industrial complex addicted to wars of aggression and out of control. Until we make concerted and consistent efforts to stand up and face them in court, our future looks grim, and it breaks my heart to watch. Maybe we can have a venue for posting weekly Growler schedule updates? That’d be a start.
the “live” link to quiet skies site is missing the letter “o” on info. The link is broken unless you add the “o.”
https://www.quietskies.info
also a very good article found there on Quiet Skies, from BitterRoot Magazine about the air militarization of the West; the problem is much more far-reaching than we know.
https://bitterrootmag.com/2019/09/13/we-are-collateral-damage-more-louder-jets-roil-military-communities/
Another interesting thing is that the Growler program is an air force program; Whidbey Naval Base is the only naval base in the country with the Growler program.