[Coral-List] Consensus statements in general

[Douglas Fenner]

In case anyone has any doubts, I STRONGLY support the ISRS statement, I
think they did a great job, and it is the most important issue for the
future of coral reefs, and the future of the liveability of the planet.  I
recommend it to all.  I think we need to stand up and make our voices heard
on this, and this is an excellent way to do it.  My thanks to all involved
in producing this.
    Cheers,  Doug

On Tue, Oct 27, 2015 at 6:46 AM, Steve Mussman <sealab at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Dear Listers,
>
> As I mentioned in an earlier post, I recognize that coral scientists are
> not of one mind, but I need to be able to gauge the level of support that
> exists for the consensus statement recently put out by the ISRS. (It can be
> found here):
> https://www.openchannels.org/sites/default/files/ISRS%20Consensus%20Statement%20on%20Coral%20Bleaching%20%26%20Climate%20Change.pdf
>
> It differs somewhat from an earlier (2012) ICRS consensus statement found
> here: http://www.icrs2012.com/Consensus_Statement.htm
>
> I understand that there are differences between these two declarations,
> but I want to focus on their similarities.
>
> They both emphasize the fact that climate change presents perhaps the
> ultimate threat to coral reefs. As I see it, the ISRS statement focuses
> only on CO2 emissions whereas the ICRS statement goes on to mention more
> about the role of local stressors.
>
> Rather than debate every minutia, is it accurate to assume that the coral
> science community generally supports the spirit and intent of both
> statements?  I think that it does, but quietude is difficult to interpret.
> I need feedback and getting scientists to commit is apparently like herding
> cats. I don't expect 8,000 responses, but can someone just step up and
> publicly confirm or reject my basic supposition?
>
> Thanks,
> Steve
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: Steve Mussman <sealab at earthlink.net>
> >Sent: Oct 23, 2015 11:49 AM
> >To: "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov" <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> >Subject: [Coral-List] Consensus statement and sunscreens
> >
> >I recognize that coral scientists are not of one mind, but can I say
> categorically that the consensus statement recently put out by the ISRS
> (International Society for Reef Studies) has as close to universal backing
> as is possible considering the divergent nature of independent thought?  I
> want to promote it within the diving industry, but don't want to portray it
> as having a unifying level of support if that turns out to be a distortion
> of the facts.
> >
> >As for sunscreen toxicity, I am concerned that statements like "any small
> effort to reduce oxybenzone pollution could mean that a coral reef survives
> a long, hot summer, or that a degraded area recovers" could be misleading
> in that it may be taken to suggest that we can offset the impacts of other
> local and global stressors if we can just manage to eliminate sunblock.
> PADI's website now contains a cautionary message about sunscreens and their
> effect on corals and even goes further to mention that other threats such
> as coastal pollution, overfishing, and marine debris are a greater threat
> to marine life . . . but still there remains no mention of climate change.
> >
> >Steve Mussman
> >Sea Lab Diving
> >_______________________________________________
> >Coral-List mailing list
> >Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> >http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
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>



-- 
Douglas Fenner
Consultant, corals, coral reefs, coral identification
"have regulator, will travel"
PO Box 7390
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799  USA

phone 1 684 622-7084

Join the International Society for Reef Studies.  Membership includes a
subscription to the journal Coral Reefs, there are discounts for pdf
subscriptions and developing countries.  www.fit.edu/isrs/

"Belief in climate change is optional, participation is not."- Jim Beever.
  "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts."-
Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Climate change could cost trillions more in damage, because of thawing
Arctic permafrost.   (a mere $3-166 Trillion, while even without Arctic
warming, climate change is estimated to cost $326 Trillion globally.  The
entire world economy is only about $72-85 Trillion a year.)

http://news.sciencemag.org/climate/2015/09/climate-change-could-cost-trillions-more-damages-because-thawing-arctic-permafrost?utm_campaign=email-news-latest

Global warming 'hiatus' trashed by new study.
http://www.rtcc.org/2015/09/17/global-warming-hiatus-trashed-by-new-study/

King Coal and the queen of subsidies
(total subsidies for coal worldwide exceed $3 Trillion a year.)
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/349/6254/1286.full?utm_campaign=email-sci-toc

website:  http://independent.academia.edu/DouglasFenner

blog: http://ocean.si.edu/blog/reefs-american-samoa-story-hope