[Coral-List] recommendation to list Great Barrier Reef as in danger

[Douglas Fenner]

Another news story with more info:

Australia inaction on climate puts Great Barrier Reef 'in danger', UNESCO
report says

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/06/australias-inaction-climate-puts-great-barrier-reef-danger-unesco-report-says

Cheers, Doug

On Tue, Jun 22, 2021 at 10:21 PM Douglas Fenner <
douglasfennertassi at gmail.com> wrote:

> A flurry of articles in the popular press on this story.  A quick search
> reveals many more stories than these.
>
>
> https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/australia-against-listing-the-great-barrier-reef-as-in-danger-politics-playing-a-role/ar-AALjRCW
>
> The Environment Minister repeats the statement that it is the best managed
> reef in the world.  People used to say that, I don't read that very often
> any more.  Is it???  There are reefs that have been damaged less, but is
> that because they are managed better, or just pure good luck that bleaching
> hit somewhere else this time???  Local management isn't very effective at
> reducing  bleaching is it??
>
>
> https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/australia-rejects-u-n-warning-to-list-great-barrier-reef-as-in-danger/ar-AALjtCj
>
> Terry Hughes, director of the Australian Research Council’s Center for
> Excellence in Coral Reef Studies, said Australia’s refusal to commit to a
> net zero carbon emissions target by 2050 made the country a “complete
> outlier.”
>
> “This draft decision from UNESCO is pointing the finger at Australia and
> saying: ’If you’re serious about saving the Great Barrier Reef, you need to
> do something about your climate policies,’” Hughes told Australian
> Broadcasting Corp.
>
>
> https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/in-danger-unesco-flags-risk-to-australia-s-great-barrier-reef/ar-AALiH5g
>
> https://www.yahoo.com/news/australia-blames-china-un-move-061701171.html
>
> BUT, But, aren't ALL the world's reef corals in danger over the next 20-30
> years???  (let alone by 2100)
>
> And what is the biggest threat to the corals on the GBR?  Isn't it mass
> coral bleaching?  From global warming?  And yes, Australia emits even more
> CO2 per person than the US, which emits much more than China per person
> (twice as much, Australia 24/person, US 17 per person, China 8.4
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_greenhouse_gas_emissions_per_person).
> BUT, Australia has a tiny population, something like 22 million.  The US
> has emitted more CO2 than any other country, by a factor of 2, over
> history.  If the EU was a single country, it might compete with the US.
> China has emitted half as much as the US over history but now emits twice
> as much as the US per year.  Australia is not even in the running, no way.
>      Yes, Australia is responsible for land runoff and fishing.  But let's
> be fair about this, Australia could stop emitting CO2 tomorrow, zero from
> now on, and we wouldn't even be able to detect the difference in the
> atmosphere.
>       I'm afraid we're all in this boat together, some more than others,
> but it will take the whole world going carbon neutral to save the GBR and
> the other reef ecosystems of the world.
>       Won't it????   and Australia needs to play it's part and do a lot
> more, but other countries are more responsible for the GBR decline than it
> is.  Aren't they????
>
> Cheers, Doug
>
>
>
>
> --
> Douglas Fenner
> Lynker Technologies, LLC, Contractor
> NOAA Fisheries Service
> Pacific Islands Regional Office
> Honolulu
> and:
> Coral Reef Consulting
> PO Box 997390
> Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799-6298  USA
>
> Slashing emissions by 2050 isn't enough.  We can bring down temperature
> now.
>
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/climate-deadlines-super-pollutants-hfcs-methane/2021/04/15/acb8c612-9d7d-11eb-b7a8-014b14aeb9e4_story.html
>
> Humans have destroyed 97% of earth's ecosystems
> (well, more like only 3% are fully intact)
> https://a.msn.com/r/2/BB1fH7DT?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
>
> Study: One-third of plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years.
> (but 2-4 times worse in tropics)
> https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-02/uoa-soo021220.php
> https://www.pnas.org/content/117/8/4211
>
>