Help us protect the biodiversity and health of the ocean.
Our Mission
We are dedicated to protecting the ocean and the life it sustains–from the largest whale to the smallest phytoplankton. A healthy ocean and marine ecosystem will sustain our planet for generations to come.
Get Involved
We appreciate any and all help. Displaying a yard sign, signing our petition, having conversations at home, actively engaging on our social media channels, and donating to our legal fund can make a huge impact in the battle to protect our ocean.
Helpful Links
The Green Oceans Team
Green Oceans is a non-partisan, grassroots group of community members dedicated to preserving the health of the ocean.
News, Updates & Events
Read the latest news, updates & events from Green Oceans, including our monthly newsletters, on our blog.
Green Oceans on Martha’s Vineyard
Preserve Martha’s Vineyard, a group of community members opposed to the industrialization of their coastal waters, has now joined forces with Green Oceans.
Donate
Green Oceans is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our donations come from you—concerned citizens who care about the health of our oceans. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law.
Education
Green Oceans was founded to help steer the energy transition away from harming the ocean. A healthy ocean is our best defense against climate change. We think the general public, informed about the science of the ocean and the environmental impacts of offshore wind, will make better decisions about the energy transition than our politicians. View our presentations here. We also aim to provide the public with strategies that can help us reduce our impacts on the marine environment. Learn more about plastic pollution and what we can do to help here.
The Ocean & Climate Change
Oceans are the planet’s circulatory system. They produce and distribute most of the oxygen we breathe, absorb carbon dioxide, and moderate global temperatures. “We must try everything” to combat climate change is not a good excuse to risk harming the ocean and diverting resources from solutions that can build a sustainable future.
Biodiversity
We have a responsibility to preserve the planet’s biodiversity for the next generations. According to the World Health Organization, biodiversity loss harms human health more than climate change. Industrializing the ocean has and will diminish biodiversity. We need to protect the biodiversity of the ocean, and that will, in turn, help preserve biodiversity on land.
Underwater Noise Pollution
As shipping, boating, exploration for fossil fuels, and offshore wind construction expand, underwater noise has increased. Almost all sea creatures use sound to survive. Many rely on sound to reproduce, find prey, avoid predators, and socialize. The contamination of their world with human-caused sounds imposes stress and threatens the survival of many species.
Plastic Pollution
The widespread disposal of plastic into the ocean has released toxins such as Bisphenol A (BPA) into the marine environment. This compound is commonly used in the epoxies and resins used to make wind turbine blades from Balsa wood. It mimics estrogen in the body and can disrupt normal hormonal processes. Once in the marine food chain, it can harm marine creatures and contaminate our food supply.
Offshore Wind
Industrializing the ocean damages critical habitats, diminishes primary productivity, and decreases biodiversity. Unprecedented amounts of construction are threatening our most valuable environmental asset against climate change. No empirical science supports this form of renewable energy. Europe is turning away from offshore wind in support of nuclear. We should not repeat Europe’s mistakes.
Developers
The developers of offshore wind energy projects all have roots in the fossil fuel industry and are multi-billion dollar foreign energy giants. They make money largely on raising electricity rates and US tax credits and subsidies.
The Environment
The Government publishes Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) detailing all of the environmental impacts. In spite of these harms, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has permitted eleven projects.
The Economy
Offshore wind development is expensive. The developers will transfer this cost to the rate-payer. Rhode Island has the second most expensive electricity rates in the US. Why? Given this cost, offshore wind energy development will affect jobs, property values, and the overall economy.
Fishing & Recreation
Over 3 billion people in the world rely on fish as their primary source of protein. Fish provide the highest quantity of protein with the smallest carbon footprint. Offshore wind projects will cause long-term damage to the fishing industry, contaminate our seafood, and make fishing, sailing, and boating more dangerous.
National Defense
The swath of wind turbines, each 873-1100 feet tall will be within the line of sight of radar facilities responsible for aviation traffic and missile defense systems. We know turbines interfere with radar. Why has the US allowed offshore wind developments to occur in these sensitive areas?
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people assume climate change poses a more significant risk to the environment than offshore wind, but is this true? Isn’t climate change killing more whales than offshore wind? Are offshore wind projects green?
