[Coral-List] Science and Politics
Peter Sale
sale at uwindsor.ca
Wed Jun 4 15:11:28 EDT 2014
Hi Listers,
I've been reading the lengthy string of posts on science and politics and
coral-list with interest. Like many of you, I believe that humanity is
currently facing an existential challenge with climate change just one of
the many serious impacts we are having on the biosphere that sustains us
all. I also believe we are proving remarkably inept at coming together to
solve this problem. Coral reefs are central in that they remain the
ecosystem most likely to be totally eliminated first. Think about that
for a minute -- we used to be content to cause extinction of species one
at a time, now we are tackling whole ecosystems.
The politics are equally immense because there is big money tied up in a
status quo economic system that is supposed to grow continually, and to be
based on use of fossil fuels for energy. Naturally, there will be
resistance to change, and Denny Hubbard's post today reporting some of the
goings-on in the US Congress is a perfect example.
All in all I am struck by two features of the coral-list discussion.
Despite some scientific differences of opinion, there is general consensus
that something needs to be done and that scientists should somehow get
involved more than we traditionally did (I stress 'traditionally' because
scientists are a lot more active in such small-p political debates than we
ever used to be 20+ years ago). Secondly, the posts have come almost
exclusively from North America, and frequently relate to North American
small- and large-P politics.
I do not know the details, but I do know there is a major political battle
currently being waged in Australia regarding coal mining, coal port
expansion, and possible damage from that to the GBR. Australia has also
rolled back (or is planning to roll back) its quite progressive carbon
tax. All these seem to stem directly from a rightward tilting governance
following their last national election. In fact, Australia, a fossil-fuel
exporter, that was at least trying to do its small part re climate change,
now seems to be learning many lessons from its new political friend
Canada, a country I am increasingly embarrassed to call home. In any
event, I suspect our many Aussie colleagues are too busy waging small- and
large-p political battles back home to take time to participate in
discussions of same on coral-list. On the other hand, what they learn can
be useful in other countries too.
Coral reef scientists have the capacity, because of what is happening to
reefs, to speak powerfully, and with authority about the environmental
consequences of our CO2 pollution. We can be effective in the public
square. And we perhaps ought to be prepared, when in the public square,
to move outside our scientist frames to speak as humans who understand and
can question the morality of our failure to act more effectively to stop
messing up our planet.
Two quick heads-up that relate to this issue:
1. I am leading a multi-author paper that will appear in Marine Pollution
Bulletin late July, titled "Transforming Management of Tropical Coastal
Seas to Cope with Challenges of the 21st Century" It deals with tropical
coasts rather than only with coral reefs, but makes the point that a)
current efforts to manage fisheries, pollution, etc, are insufficient, b)
climate change and population growth are going to make the problems of
coastal ocean degradation much worse by 2050, and c) without a major
paradigm shift we are going to fail absolutely to stop the continuing
degradation. More of the same, or simply trying harder, is just not good
enough. Watch for it.
2. At a recent two-day symposium dealing with the relationship between
environment and the economy, with six speakers from across North America
including three ecologists (but no coral-reef scientists other than the
chair who never mentioned reefs) and an economist, it became abundantly
clear that we need a dramatically revised world economy, and enhanced
attention to population growth, if we are going to get through this
existential challenge without massive degradation of natural systems and
greatly enhanced human suffering. There ARE pathways to a good future,
and environmental scientists, especially coral reef scientists have a role
to play in every community to help us stumble collectively onto such
paths. The communique that emerged from the conference can be downloaded
here: http://muskokasummit.org/2014-summit/communique/ It is intended to
encourage, and to be used.
Sorry to be wordy. Hopefully I've contributed to the discussion, and
mentioned reefs often enough;-).
Peter Sale
University Professor Emeritus
University of Windsor
sale at uwindsor.ca @PeterSale3
www.uwindsor.ca/sale www.petersalebooks.com
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