An Air Force veteran is calling on the Navy to permanently cancel Seattle’s iconic Blue Angels air show, saying the beloved performance is too loud and polluting.
At well-known air shows, noise levels have been estimated at 100-110 decibels, sharply increasing the risk of spectators developing hearing loss. Dr. Breck Lebesgue wrote in a Seattle Times op-ed: The event took place ahead of a planned demonstration at the city’s annual Seafair summer festival.
“Jet noise may be the ‘sound of freedom,’ but prolonged or repeated exposure to sounds above 85 decibels can cause hearing damage,” wrote LeBesgue, who served as an Air Force flight surgeon for 30 years and is a member of the advocacy group Physicians for Social Responsibility in Washington.
The doctor in question pointed to a May study of takeoffs and landings at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Evergreen involving F/A-18 aircraft, the same ones used by the Blue Angels, which found more than 74,000 people were at “risk for adverse health effects.”
The study found that sleep was estimated to be significantly disrupted in many schools, while some schools exposed children to noise levels that could cause them to fall behind in their learning.
The popular showcase, which drew a record crowd of 106,000 at a rehearsal in Jones Beach on Long Island in May, also runs counter to the progressive city’s plan to drastically reduce its contribution to climate change, LeBesgue noted.
LeBesgue said the Blue Angels jets spewed 670 tonnes of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere over the weekend, contributing more to climate change than 30 cars traveling 150,000 miles each.
Seattle city officials announced a goal this year to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 58% by 2030 compared to 2008 levels, and to become carbon neutral by 2050.
“Last year was the hottest since records were kept. July 22nd was the hottest day on record. The Angels are only going to make it worse,” Lebesgue snorted.
Mayor LeBesgue said the city was practicing “harm reduction” by withdrawing the world’s second-oldest aerobatic team from its 10-week summer festival, Seafair.
“Thank you to the Blue Angels for your service and the shows you have shown us, and let us say goodbye and move on to a healthier world of quieter planes, cleaner air and more family fun,” he wrote.
Officially known as the U.S. Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels were formed in 1946 to expose the American public to naval aviation and boost morale in the Navy.
The squadron is based in Pensacola, Florida. Approximately 64 performances will be held. It is planned to be expanded to 32 cities by 2025.
The Air Force has its own demonstration squadron. Thunderbirdflies the F-16 in about 75 shows a year.
