Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now Secretary of Health & Human Services, is waging a two-front war against offshore wind farms and for the survival of nearly 400 ostriches in Canada, New York Post reported.
Kennedy, a longtime environmental lawyer, has doubled down on his opposition to offshore wind projects, claiming they’re a disaster for marine life like whales, while simultaneously pushing to save a flock of ostriches threatened by bird flu in British Columbia.
On Sunday, Kennedy reiterated his call to ban offshore windmills, pointing to a staggering rise in whale groundings near these projects. Over the last 22 months, 109 whales have beached themselves in areas close to new wind farms. That’s a shocking jump from the 2.6 average per year over the prior two decades.
“We’ve had 109 whale groundings in the last 22 months,” Kennedy declared. And he’s not wrong to raise eyebrows—many of these whales are critically endangered, and such a spike in strandings near wind farms demands scrutiny, not dismissal by green energy cheerleaders.
Kennedy also argues that windmills are wiping out cod and groundfish, leaving fishermen high and dry. “When you put a windmill up, the cod disappear,” he said. If true, this isn’t just an environmental issue—it’s a gut punch to coastal livelihoods already struggling under regulatory burdens.
Then there’s the cost: Kennedy notes offshore wind energy is triple the price of onshore alternatives. “They make no economic sense,” he insisted. For a nation already squeezed by inflation, why are we funneling subsidies to foreign-owned wind companies under past policies like the Inflation Reduction Act?
President Trump, no fan of these projects himself, has issued an executive order halting new offshore wind approvals. “They ruin the environment, they kill the birds, they kill the whales,” Trump blasted. His stance aligns with Kennedy, who reportedly discusses this issue with him frequently.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams requested the approval of Empire Wind 1 off Long Island’s coast, and authorities gave it the green light. The project will power 500,000 homes and create 1,000 local jobs as part of New York’s goal to eliminate fossil fuels by 2050. But what will it cost the ocean ecosystem?
Nassau County officials express concern, echoing Kennedy’s warning that Empire Wind 1 threatens marine life and the fishing industry. Although authorities have already approved the project, it continues to spark controversy. Should we prioritize jobs over the survival of endangered species—or are we overlooking a larger issue?
Kennedy’s history of fighting wind farms isn’t new—he once helped block a project near his family’s Cape Cod compound. His critics might call it nimbyism, but when you’ve got data showing whale strandings skyrocketing, it’s hard to argue he’s just protecting his backyard view.
Meanwhile, across the border, Kennedy is tackling a feathered crisis involving nearly 400 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farm in British Columbia. Facing a cull by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to stop bird flu, these birds have caught Kennedy’s attention for surviving the disease.
“We want to get antibodies out of them,” Kennedy explained, pushing for studies on their immunity. His passion for understanding why these ostriches survived—when so many other birds didn’t—could yield insights for broader avian health. It’s an unconventional fight, but science often starts with the unexpected.
Kennedy, who owns an emu himself, has teamed up with John Catsimatidis to save these ostriches from the chopping block. Even Dr. Oz, now heading the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has offered his Florida ranch as a safe haven. Talk about a bipartisan flock of supporters!
This dual battle—whales versus windmills, ostriches versus flu—shows Kennedy isn’t just picking fights for headlines. He’s asking hard questions about balancing green energy with nature’s survival and pushing for innovation over destruction. In a world quick to slap “sustainable” on anything, maybe we need more voices challenging the cost, both economic and ecological.
