Climate change is a global issue – a crisis that will be felt by all corners of the world. A local region that is significantly impacted by the effects of climate change is the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef, located off Cairns in northern Queensland, is the world’s largest coral reef system. Climate change, which causes ocean warming, and in turn coral bleaching and ocean acidification, poses a serious threat to this treasured World Heritage Site.
Here are images illustrating these drastic effects of climate change on the reef.
Climate change is a change of climate attributed largely to increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Essentially, human industrial activity has resulted in a major increase in global emissions of greenhouse gases, altering the composition of the global atmosphere. These greenhouse gases ‘absorb the spectrum of infrared light and contribute to the warming of our atmosphere. Once produced, they remain trapped in the atmosphere for tens or hundreds of years.’ The validation for this information can be seen here (on powerpoint). http://www.wired.co.uk/article/what-is-climate-change-definition-causes-effects
Naomi Klein, award-winning journalist and social activist, explains this issue. ‘If we continue on our current path of allowing emissions to rise year after year, climate change will change everything about our world. Major cities will very likely drown, ancient cultures will be swallowed by the seas, and there is a very high chance that our children will spend a great deal of their lives fleeing and recovering from vicious storms and extreme droughts.’ In terms of the Reef, its ecosystem, marine life, universal value as a world heritage site, and tourism industry are all currently, or soon to be, impacted by climate change. ‘There are ways of preventing this grim future, or at least making it a lot less dire. But the catch is that these also involve changing everything. For us high consumers, it involves changing how we live, how our economies function, even the stories we tell about our place on earth.’
This is why climate change has been, and continues to be, a major global threat. We are sprinting head-long into disaster, yet to slow down, we would have to change pretty much everything about our economic system. This issue forms two highly oppositional groups: the scientists, environmentalists, and other climate advocates, and those who are concerned with the impact of climate solutions on business – such as politicians and large oil and coal companies. Klein explains the battle between these opposing interest groups in this quote. (On screen: ‘Right now, the triumph of market logic, with its ethos of domination and fierce competition, is paralysing almost all serious efforts to respond to climate change. Cutthroat competition between nations has deadlocked U.N. climate negotiations for decades: rich countries dig in their heels and declare that they won’t cut emissions and risk losing their vaulted position in the global hierarchy; poorer countries declare that they won’t give up their right to pollute as much as the rich countries did on their way to wealth, even if that means deepening a disaster that hurts the poor most of all’.)
In short, ‘we have not done the things necessary to lower emissions because those things fundamentally conflict with deregulated capitalism’, our reigning ideology. This thus makes climate change an extremely topical issue, and in Australia, our leaders are struggling to put forth reasonable solutions that satisfy both sides of the debate. With respect to the impacts of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef, all levels of government in Australia are involved in adapting to, and/or mitigating the crisis.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority consists of these (on powerpoint) board members and academics, demonstrating the validity of information gathered from this source. The Authority has numerous agreements (Great Barrier Reef Intergovernmental Agreement and Reef 2050 Long-term Sustainability Plan, Climate Change Action Plan 2012-2017), that ensure the conservation of our environment through a wide range of strategies. Their latest Program Report also speaks of the ‘cooperative partnership’ between the Authority and the Queensland Government. In actuality, the rift between these Authority’s climate change proposals and their actual initiation by the government remains large.
‘The federal government and all state governments of Australia have explicitly recognised that climate change is being caused by greenhouse gas emissions, in conformity with scientific opinion.’ According to the Department of the Environment and Energy, ‘Australia has a comprehensive suite of policies to reduce domestic emissions and support effective international efforts.’ Specific details of said policies, and the reliability of the source, can be seen here (on powerpoint). The Queensland government also has numerous programs operating to control climate effects on the Great Barrier Reef. Despite these comprehensive strategies and low-carbon pledges, in truth, federal policy is stalling in response to climate change. Our governments, desperate to please all interest groups, are fighting over their course of action, and ultimately, failing to produce effective solutions.
Australia’s local councils, however, are leading the way in battling climate change and protecting the reef. An article from The Guardian, (whose source evaluation is shown here) states that ‘Thirty-five councils, which serve three million Australians, have pledged to switch to renewable energy, build sustainable transport, and develop greener, efficient and more climate-resilient communities.’
In a perfect world, we would stop all emissions of carbon. As a result, the Great Barrier Reef would be safe, our ice caps would stop melting, and our planet would retain a stable condition. Unfortunately, radical measures are necessary for this to become a reality. But who would fund these changes?
Do any of you think that your parents would be happy if politicians increased taxes? Would they would vote in the same politician who took away the family’s high-carbon 4WD? Even if it meant moving a step closer to saving the reef? The inconvenient truth is: they probably wouldn’t. No politician would dare place such constraints on Australian citizens as it constitutes political suicide.
I believe an alternate solution would be the country’s investment in renewable energies and application of new agricultural practices, working towards a more climate-resilient future whilst also having limited impact on business. As a nation, if we strive for improved global cooperation between countries, we can achieve regulated climate goals. I also believe that the Australian government should implement an awareness campaign, informing the general public of our current situation. To avoid taxation or other not-so-appealing solutions, Australian citizens will keenly turn off their lights, or drive smaller, economic cars. Additionally, Australia’s federal and state governments need to provide our local councils with assistance in confronting this issue by actually completing those plans put forth by the Marine Park Authority.
Due to the far-reaching consequences of climate solutions, it is likely that any great change will come from the individual level. The Climate Council of Australia, which is a reliable source due to these reasons (on powerpoint), has found that ‘70% of the emissions reductions required to keep global warming at 2 degrees can be achieved by making changes at the local level’. Recycling, composting, relying less on raw materials, reducing any usage of plastics, and using recycled products to minimise waste, are just some of the ways by which we can reduce our carbon footprint. In the grand scheme of things, these changes may not seem significant while entire countries are emitting more carbon than ever before. But they can be. I know it sounds cliché, but if everyone contributes, if everyone works to protect our future, and our reef’s future, we can make a difference. The potential for change is extraordinary.