Saving the Ocean from Deadly Noise Pollution: An Interview with Kathy Matara PhD
Kathy Matara is an environmental safety and health policy advocate who has worked on sustainable safe technologies since 2012. She spearheaded an action for Iowans to opt out of high radiation smart meters in favor of zero-radiation analog meters to measure utility usage in front of legislative, regulatory and governing bodies.
Dr. Matara is a designated US voting representative on international committees out of Geneva Switzerland, including The International Internet of Things Committee, The Underwater Internet of Things Committee (UIoT), International Standards Organization (ISO), and the International Electro-Technical Committee (IEC).
Currently, Dr. Matara has a profound focus on solving the problem of an Acoustic Underwater ocean-wide Internet Technology that threatens to disrupt life for fish, whales, dolphins, coral reefs and more. She was voted Convener and US expert by the US National Committee of the IEC (the world’s leading organization for setting international standards in electrical, electronic, and related technologies) of the working group that will write alternative technical standards to replace the proposed loud all acoustic (sonar) underwater network with a fiber optic based ocean network.
Kathy, we are so pleased that you could find the time to answer our questions. Please explain a little bit about the goal of The Quiet Ocean Standards Initiative.
Q- What is a Convener and US expert in SC41?
A- The goal of the Quiet Ocean Standards InitiativeI is to keep the ocean safe from excessive underwater noise, caused by this emerging “smart ocean” network. Convenor is the leader/guide of one of the working groups. Our project is entitled “Environmental and Ecological Risks and Considerations of Underwater Acoustic Signaling.”
Q- With so many environmental problems these days, what inspired you to take up this particular mantle?
A- I was approached by one of my expert witnesses, Dr. Timothy Schoechle, in my previous environmental protection project in an Iowa Utilities Board court case to win the right to opt out of smart utility meters, which create harmful radiation—which we won. Dr. Schoechle, who has had a seat on all of the above-mentioned committees for 45 years, approached me over four years ago, saying “Guess what is about to happen to your ocean?”
He told me that this underwater loud sonar network design had just crossed his desk. The “Smart Ocean” will be an Underwater Internet of Things (UIoT) network utilizing data encoded on sound waves (loud, unpleasant modem-like sounds) designed to expand communication and internet connectivity, marine life tracking, military surveillance, pollution detection, also using underwater robots and drones. Underwater sensor stations, that are conical modems shaped like an iceberg about the size of a small dining room table, will be ” peppered” throughout the ocean floor in order to share and transmit data to each other via sound waves, forward the data to ocean buoys, then convert the data to WiFi signals for transfer to cell towers and satellites.
Tim said that he thought I was the only one he knew with the skill set to defend ocean inhabitants’ rights on the international committees. Shortly thereafter, I was accepted onto these committees as a United States representative.
Q- Can you elaborate on the problem?
A- We are all aware of noise pollution. This “Smart Ocean” network will run at 160 to 250 decibels in the frequency range of 30-100 Khz, fully audible to humans and marine life. 250 decibels is as loud as a rocket taking off. Consequences: Oceanwide underwater noise running 24/7 is loud enough to “mask” the ability of whales and dolphins to hear their echo location signals which they have to hear in order to navigate, find food, reproduce etc., which portends extinction. This amount of noise can tear human swimmers/divers eardrums at close range to one of the underwater sensor stations (modems). I think you can get a lot more clarity from this link (2 minutes long) https://youtu.be/YmVB3mOTUSI
Q- What constitutes your day to day responsibilities?
A- My work is complex and varied, with no two days alike. I attend the international meetings on Zoom (often in the middle of the night), I run the group I convene, we have meetings, I invite outside experts to speak at those meetings, I give many presentations which I need to get international approval for, I travel to conferences, I write reports, I educate different countries’ experts on marine concerns, I do lobbying, fundraising… to name a few typical tasks.
Q- You learned the Transcendental Meditation technique many years ago. What are some of the benefits you’ve noticed and specifically how has the TM practice enabled you to fulfill your role in Quiet Ocean Standards?
A- I consider that the development the TM technique has brought me is foundational to doing a difficult job like this. Though I’m decades older, I currently have perfect health and the energy of a 20 year old, which is necessary to work as hard as I do (often in the middle of the night). I display great endurance and resilience in stressful situations, which are a big part of this diplomatic committee work. I work harmoniously on the International Committees, and have enormous creativity when needing to find “work-arounds” and solutions. I’m told that I am perceived as sharp, clear and highly intelligent, combined with human qualities of love and compassion. I have had this feedback often, and I attribute all of that to my long term exposure to the mental and physical benefits of transcending during the TM practice.
Q- How can this work of the Quiet Ocean Initiative take hold?
A- There is currently no significant regulation of open ocean areas, hence the vulnerability. Each land mass or country controls and regulates the ocean area of about a five-mile ocean area perimeter to that country’s land mass (this varies, country to country: some control less, and I am not aware of any that control more). But once the International Standards for a network are set, they are not likely to be overturned by local governing bodies, they are usually considered trusted guidance and adopted locally without being questioned. Hence the importance of setting safe network standards to start with, which is our objective.
Q- Any other comments? A- As well as being harmful to the creatures of the oceans, throwing off the balance of nature in the ocean could be dangerous for humanity. Twenty percent of our protein food comes from the ocean, and 50% of the Earth’s oxygen is generated by the ocean. Please visit safesmartocean.org if you’d like to learn more about it. I appreciate the opportunity to share what is happening in our oceans with TM for Women.
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About the Author
Janet Hoffman is the executive director of TM for Women Professionals, a division of TM for Women in the USA
