18.2871° S, 147.6992° E the coordinates to one of the most magnificent wonders in the world, the Great Barrier Reef. Just off the coast of Queensland, Australia this massive 1400 miles of coral reef takes up an area of 132,000 square miles. It’s the largest living thing on earth and the home to a whopping 20,000 different species of fish, animals, and plants. The Great Barrier Reef is so massive it can be seen from space. Unfortunately, the Great Barrier Reef, its inhabitants and the economy are slowly diminishing. The burning of fossil fuels and lack of awareness are the reasons the economy and the reef are in the shape that they are there in. Because of climate change the ocean water temperatures have risen, causing coral bleaching and eventually …show more content…
One of the greatest market failures to come with climate change and the burning of fossil fuels is the economic health of our environment. Queensland makes up for less than one percent of the world’s population. The local Queensland government vowed to protect its people, its ocean waters, the environment, and the Great Barrier Reef but the government are currently supporting a plan by Adani, an Indian energy company, and their plan to open and run one of the biggest coal mines in north east Queensland and ship coal to India from the Queensland coast just miles from the Great Barrier Reef. Many believe burning fossil fuels this close to the reef will only increase the temperature even more, speeding up the process of killing the Great Barrier Reef, the environment, and on a small scale the world. This is an example of fossil fuel abuse and not being aware of the consequences that come with burning fossil fuels. The Great Barrier Reef is just a small scale to a very large problem. The economic impact of climate change is affecting imports, exports and trade not just in Queensland, Australia but all over the world. Climate change also has a strong economic impact on tourism and the environment. The 3-degree change is happening as we speak and will have a huge economic impact not only on the Great Barrier reef but the whole …show more content…
I believe one of the simplest solutions in struggling battle against climate change is making people more aware of what climate change is and how its effecting our earth. An article written by Chelsea Harvey of the Washington post said “40% of all adults on earth have never heard of climate change”. Let’s focus on two main questions. “What factors most influence whether a person is aware of climate change” and, “For those that know it’s happening, what factors influence how big of a risk that person thinks it poses”. Proper education of climate change plays a large factor in whether a person is aware of climate change, and visual representation of climate change is the best way to make a person aware of climate
Earth, an endless source of wonder and beauty, produced the Great Barrier Reef. Hustling and bustling, the Reef thrives like a busy city, teeming with life. Sheltering thousands, corals, maintain the well-being of the Reef; however, the world threatens its nature and delicacy. Populations growing and technological advances increasing, the world becomes more and more disconnected with the natural world, posing an alarming risk for the planet we live on. Although many organizations try to keep the oceans clean, because of human interference and unnatural occurrences, the Great Barrier Reef needs scientific help to adapt corals to new conditions for means of survival, putting pressure on the Australian government to save their ocean environment.
The world is changing. The environment is yelling at us, but is society ready to listen? Climate scientists, outdoor enthusiasts, environmentalists, and politicians all have an opinion on the state of the world’s climate. There is an argument from each side, agreeing or disagreeing with the claims of scientists who are trying to show the world what is happening. The fact is that humans are changing the climate, and it is not for the better. Glaciers are melting, the polar caps are shrinking and the ocean is becoming acidic. According to a report in Ocean News and Technology “Researchers have found that increasing ocean temperatures due to climate change will soon see reefs shrinking” (Ocean News and Technology). The Great Barrier Reef off the
Climate change has been affecting coral reefs in a negative way. If the climate continues to get warmer more of our coral reef become bleached, the structure of the reefs will become weak, and algae that keeps coral healthy will die. In the essay, “A framework for understanding Climate change impacts on Coral Reefs” by Joshua Clinner (2016), he emphasizes our climate change has become one of the long-term threats to coral reef. The article “Climate change and human impacts are damaging the world’s coral reefs”, which didn’t include an author (2001), states that the sea temperatures throughout the tropics has increased dramatically leaving much of the coral unhealthy. Spencer Hall (2008), discussed in his article “Coral Reefs and Climate Change”, how the increase in climate change puts a lot of stress on coral reefs because they are very sensitive to the change of temperature. Rigel B (2003) states in his essay, “Climate Change and Coral Reefs”, that coral reef has already been negatively impacted by
Nowadays climate change is the biggest problem of the human being. It is already happening and represents one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing the planet. Climate change, also known as global warming is the seasonal change for a long geological period of time in the world that is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity, altering the composition of the global atmosphere. Australia faces significant environmental and economic impacts from climate change across a number of sectors, including water security, agriculture, coastal communities, and infrastructure.
Around the world, their are beautiful places called “the seven wonders of the natural world”. These sites are fantastic because of there fascinating views and the fact that they were naturally made, not by humans. One of these seven natural wonders of the natural world is the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is located off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The Great Barrier Reef was formed by corals growing on submerged islands. The sea level then continued to rise, “leading to more corals growing and forming.” (Zimmerman). The Great Barrier Reef is “a mosaic of 2,900 individual reefs” and can be “seen from space and is not only the world's largest coral reef system but also the largest structure
We need coral reefs, and not just to make the ocean look pretty and colourful, they are more than just that…
There are many actions we can take to help the great barrier reef survive, such us using different means of transport like walking or biking, which decreases pollutions like oils and gas, also reducing the use of plastic bottles, straws and containers will also help, as well as volunteering at a beach cleanup events.
The Effects of Global Warming on the Great Barrier Reef Introduction Coral reefs around the world are in danger. One of the causes is global warming, which has been increasing the temperature of the ocean water, resulting in coral bleaching. This essay will focus on damage occurring to the Great Barrier Reef. What is a Coral Reef? A coral reef is a ridge formed in shallow ocean water by accumulated calcium-containing exoskeletons of coral animals, certain red algae, and mollusks.
In conclusion, the Great Barrier Reef is in danger due to climate change issues such as ocean acidification, greenhouse gasses and many others previously discussed. In order to protect the reef, changes in society need to be made. The reef is there for people to enjoy, not destroy however due to the careless life style we lead, the Great Barrier Reef is suffering. Society needs to make changes now before the reef becomes damaged beyond repair.
The earth is billions of years old, and humans only realized the power of fossil fuels in the last century. Knowing what we are doing to the environment should be enough for people to take a stand and reduce their carbon emissions. It’s not just a matter of awareness, it’s about letting people know why they should care on a personal level and on a larger scale. Climate change is real, and most of it is because of human activity.
Oceans cover 71% of the earth’s surface. The talk of climate change can often seem to focus on what is happening in our atmosphere, but there is a lot of change going on in our oceans. The oceans have absorbed 90% of the excess heat and 28% of the carbon pollution generated by human consumption of fossil fuels (Nuccitelli 2015). The purpose of this paper is to show how the effects of climate change effect the coral reefs in our oceans, with a focus on the coral reef systems in the Caribbean and of the Great Barrier Reef. The Caribbean coral reefs are well known to have suffered more damage between the two reef systems. That’s not to say that the Great Barrier Reef has not suffered its own damage. It has and will continue to suffer in the future.
Due to climate changes, we are a “gradual and uncertain rather than immediate and obvious” process, we as humans cannot understand it (Jamieson, 102). In addition, climate change effects have no geographical bounds and because very few people pay attention to events that occur beyond national boundaries, most people are oblivious to its existence. Jamieson makes the point that climate change must be thought rather than sensed, and we as humans are not very good at thinking (Jamieson, 103). On top of that, even if we succeed in thinking that something is a threat, we are less reactive than if we sense that it is a threat. Since we cannot even comprehend climate change's presence in our world right now, it also makes it extremely difficult for us to comprehend how our anthropogenic actions of today will affect future generations all over the world.
The Great barrier reef has had many recent hardships, including water pollutants and the increasing water temperature. Although it may be too late to save this particular reef we the people must not be so nearsighted to the
Located in tropical ocean waters, coral reefs provide priceless resources to both human and marine life. They exist in an area about 30 degrees on either side of the equator. Coral reefs are home to more species than any other marine ecosystem. This includes over 1500 types of fish and 500 different types of algae. (Encarta) However, nearly 60% of coral reefs are in serious danger due to both natural and man-made causes.
climate change is a natural process, but because of increases in certain human activities this process is taking a faster and more dangerous route, ruining our earth and creating global problems. So what could really be done about this issue? Well, humans are ultimately to blame for this, and while there is no one, immediate solution to this complication, there are smaller solutions that can first be taken to eventually reduce the effects that climate change has on the planet. One of these solutions that we can put into effect almost immediately, involves supporting educational efforts that help children and teens in public/private schools become more educated about climate change.