[Coral-List] FW: On a positive note But actually...

Thu Jun 27 15:07:33 UTC 2019

Dear Alina,

Although I too am concerned about population growth, I’m not sure about your assumption that too many humans is “the ultimate cause of climate change”. Here are just two thought-provoking articles which support the arguments presented here by Doug and others that consumption and technology may well be more directly related to our current predicament. 

https://grist.org/article/humans-cause-climate-change-do-we-just-need-fewer-humans/

https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/12/12/16766872/overpopulation-exaggerated-concern-climate-change-world-population

> What we can agree upon is your lack of optimism “that things will be just peachy and all right by 2050”. (Then again, have they ever been?) It’s with this in mind that I choose to celebrate (ever so slightly) the small victories.

> Pretty pathetic when you think about it, but I did get a bit uplifted by a few lines in a scuba diving periodical. 

Regards,
Steve

Sent from my iPad

> On Jun 26, 2019, at 10:51 AM, Alina Szmant via Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
> 
> Hi Steve:
> 
> I agree that we all want to be hopeful, but my concern is that too many good people see climate change only as a consequence of fossil fuel use, and ignore the ultimate cause of climate change, TOO MANY HUMANS, for the loss of coral reefs, loss of biodiversity all over the world (land animals and plants are in far worse shape that marine ones). That is because there is this ostrich response (stick your head in a hole in the ground) to the ELEPHANT in the room: human overpopulation. It is HUMANS who not only burn fossil fuels for all the various uses we can't live without, but  also: we deforest the land for all sorts of human uses (cooking fuel, agriculture, all types of commercial development) and deforestation is just as major a contributor to climate change, loss of habitat and biodiversity, and coastal pollution affecting coral reefs as fossil fuel burning;  we over-fish which is directly related to number of humans wanting to catch fish for their own consumption or to sell for income, and which affects ecosystem dynamics on coral reefs as well as all marine ecosystems and through loss of predators and herbivores, coral health. So when we focus only on renewable energy and reducing CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels we are ignoring the ultimate cause of all of this. It scares the bejeebers out of me when I read in the magazines from major environmental organizations an acceptance that we will have 9 Billion or 10 Billion people on Earth by 2050 or 2100. Why aren't TNC, The Ocean Conservancy, Environmental Defense, Conservation International, Sierra Club, Audubon, to name just a few,  raising this flag at the top of their messaging? There are only a few organizations like Population Connection (great organization, check out their website, yellow dot video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khFjdmp9sZk) that make this their mission to raise awareness and to connect the dots between human overpopulation, human misery and conflict, poverty, loss of habitat and wilderness/wildlife, etc. 
> 
> We can't handle the 7.5 Billion people on Earth now, some poor some wealthy but everyone having a minimal daily need for resources,  with all of the food animals humans raise and their environmental impact. The idea that new technology is going to save us from ourselves is fake news to use a current term. We haven't been able to keep up over the past 4 decades and no reason to believe that is going to change any time soon. So while I personally do what I can do reduce my own carbon footprint and be as environmentally conscience as possible, I do not feel optimistic in any way that things will be just peachy and all right by 2050. I won't be alive then, so luckily I won't have to experience the sad state of things many of us are predicting to be inevitable.
> 
> Sorry to get back onto my old soap-box so soon after rejoining Coral-List but it IS the major crisis of today, and basically ignored by most as too intractable an issue, which it will continue to be as long as we continue to ignore it.
> 
> Alina
> 
> 
> *************************************************************************
> Dr. Alina M. Szmant, CEO
> CISME Instruments LLC
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Coral-List <coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> On Behalf Of Steve Mussman via Coral-List
> Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 3:31 PM
> To: coral list <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Subject: [Coral-List] On a positive note
> 
> I’d like to draw your attention to an article that appeared recently in Alert Diver, the magazine of Divers Alert Network (DAN): http://www.alertdiver.com/Reef-Futures . 
> In it, the publisher and editors have broken new ground (for the US scuba diving industry)  in clearly articulating the dire problem that anthropogenic climate changes holds for the planet’s coral reefs; even going so far as to proclaim that “The science and associated consequences of anthropogenic climate change are undeniable when examined without preconceived notions” and . . . that “The greatest risk would be to do nothing about carbon (CO2) dioxide emissions. Immediate and aggressive action on climate change is paramount for the long-term survival of reefs”.  The article goes on to acknowledge the significance of the contribution made by many of you in the coral science community who for years have dedicated your careers to saving coral reefs as well as the inspiration that you have provided to the new generation of up and coming young coral scientists. As one who has been a persistent critic of the U.S. scuba diving industry’s inaction on this issue, this is welcomed news indeed. This may sound pollyannish, but let’s hope that this proclamation signals the beginning of a real movement to reform the scuba diving industry, educate the diving public and ultimately help turn the tide and brighten the future for the world’s coral reefs. 
> 
> Regards,
> Steve  
> 
> Sent from my iPad
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