Demand a stronger recovery plan to save the Great Barrier Reef from disappearing forever

  • by: Georgina B.
  • recipient: Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott & Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

According to a new report in the Guardian, the Australian government’s plan to reverse the decline of the Great Barrier Reef is “weak” and requires greater action.

The federal and Queensland governments have devised a long-term plan to arrest the decline of the reef, however, scientists have attacked the plan for failing to confront the issue of climate change, which is the leading long-term threat to the reef.

The Nature Climate Change report, compiled by three of the reef’s most experienced scientists, comes as UNESCO will decide in June whether to list the reef as ‘in danger’ - the reef is considered to be in poor health having lost half of its coral over the past 30 years.

The report notes that more than half of the 41 outstanding universal values ascribed to the reef by UNESCO are in decline due to pollution, coastal development, dredging, overfishing and climate change.

The report warns that opening up huge new coalmines in Queensland is “too risky” for the reef, arguing it “will not be possible to develop and operate the largest coal ports in the world along the edge of the Great Barrier Reef world heritage area over the next 60 years without causing permanent damage to the region”.

Scientists have also attacked the plan for failing to confront the issue of climate change, which is the leading long-term threat to the reef. The opening up of the Galilee Basin coalfields, to export resources via the reef, could result in the release of an additional 705m tonnes of greenhouse gases.

The Great Barrier Reef is a natural wonder and deserves to be protected. Will you join me in urging the federal and Queensland governments to implement the recommendations of the Nature Climate Change report to stop the decline of the Great Barrier Reef? Please sign and share the petition.

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