In times like this when there is so much wanton destruction of natural environments in the name of increasing the profits of the rich; it is not often that the two heavy weights of conservation and environmentalism find themselves in the same struggle. It is in the name of possibly one of the most diverse ecosystems on our planet, the Great Barrier Reef that the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Greenpeace have found some common ground and are campaigning to protect, by demanding that the Australian Government reconsider their plans to mine the huge coal deposits that are present in the state of Queensland. This coal will be shipped to Far Eastern markets via new ports which are due to be built along the coastline of Queensland.
The construction of these ports and shipping lanes for a superhighway are sure to upset the delicate balance that supports the world’s richest and greatest marine habitat. The Reef is already under threat from the fluctuations in oceanic temperature as a result of the burning of fossil fuels and climate change, and large scale industrialisation like which has been proposed is very likely to increase the stress on the environment.
It is becoming the normal scenario the world over that the mining of minerals specifically fossil fuels has become more important than the life, because of the wealth they seem to guarantee. As such it seems nothing is sacred any more for some but increasing bank balances, and so it is left to the rest of us to stand up and be counted to protect those things that are beautiful that we would like our children to have the opportunity to experience and not just read about in their history books.
Greenpeace have been fighting against this proposal for some months now with the Save The Reef campaign (#SaveTheReef), in which we are asking people to sign this petition against the proposed coal mines. WWF with support from the Australian Marine Conservation Society have set up the organisation Fight for the Reef (#FightForTheReef) where you can find out more about their aims and objectives and also sign this petition addressed to the World Heritage Committee demanding that the following decisions be made at the next UNESCO meeting due to take place on Friday in Cambodia.
• No approvals of new port projects until a sustainable development plan for the Reef is in place.
• No industrial dredging and dumping in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
• Retain and strengthen the Australian laws that protect the Reef, its catchments and coast.
• Absolutely no industrial development in the Fitzroy Delta and Keppel Bay regions.
• Major investment in the long-term recovery and repair of the Great Barrier Reef.
If nothing is done to halt the industrialisation Great Barrier Reef will most probably die, and although it will be replaced by other forms of life, the variety will be lost forever.
For more information you can read Boom Goes the Reef, a report by Greenpeace
Also check out the video below in which Prof Callum Roberts announces 'The future is bleak for our iconic Reef'
Rakesh
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