Yeah, that’s right. The guy whose actual job it is to advocate for the Great Barrier Reef said that it’s fine and doesn’t need saving. He’s also an advocate for the controversial and much contested Adani coalmine – surprise, surprise.
So, literally everyone at this stage is pretty aware that the Great Barrier Reef is straight up dying because of climate change. Or at least, anyone that isn’t involved in the $$$ that comes with Adani’s coalmine that is probs going to ruin, you know, our environment and the wildlife it harbours. Coral is bleaching at record levels because climate change is heating up our oceans to temperatures where it can’t cope. In 2002, 54% of the reef was bleached. Imagine the damage that’s been done in the 17 years since then.
You’d think, since he’s the new Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef, that Liberal MP Warren Entsch would be concerned about the mass bleaching happening in our reefs. Nope. Last week he literally said “we don’t need to save the reef” and that it’s “functioning well.”
Just a few days ago, scientists said that we’re going through a huge natural selection event because of the massive crash in new coral births – which are down by 89%. A quick Google search can show the devastating impact climate change is having on the Great Barrier Reef and it gets more depressing the more you research.
Last week, the first ever World Reef Day was announced as Saturday 1 June so that more people would take the damage to reefs seriously.
We’re stoked to announce that we have founded #WorldReefDay as June 1, 2019😀Our goal is to make a difference through awareness, education and positive action. We’re celebrating with a #sweepstakes Win a trip to Hawaii for 4👉🏼 https://t.co/aNbzOS6GZ0 @HawaiianAir @thesurfjack pic.twitter.com/8Cr8oX5irj
— RAW ELEMENTS USA (@RAWELEMENTSUSA) April 10, 2019
However, Entsch isn’t really bothered about coral bleaching at all, saying that it’s “been happening forever”. Right. Okay. Wow. Mind you, he also backs a massive tree clearing plan that negatively affects the reef, too. At this point, I’m at a loss for what more we need to do to convince this shitty government that it matters, that everything we do to our climate matters; that the world is legit on fire and we need to act now.
Imagine being the actual envoy for a dying reef, and then rallying for the Adani coalmine that is going to have catastrophic effects on said reef.
He’s previously defended his position and maintained that he does, in fact, care about the Great Barrier Reef, because of the tourism it brings. The problem here, though, is that if your concern for the Great Barrier Reef’s health is always based on how profitable it is, then we are actually not going to succeed in saving it. Straight up.
However, I can’t say I’m surprised by Entsch’s stance, considering he’s in cahoots with the Adani coalmine. Anything for dollars, right? He described the Queensland government’s approval of the mine as a “win win win” and also said that academic staff at school and universities are brainwashing students with their *cough* factual and intensively researched *cough* science. He reckons educating kids on the need for stronger climate action is BS – “It’s like child abuse and I think they should be held accountable.”
You know what I think is child abuse? Risking the environment’s survival for a coalmine that’s going to accelerate climate change and fuck up our planet, affecting millions of children. But hey, I’m not the special envoy to the Great Barrier Reef and school was clearly just indoctrinating me with radical beliefs, so what do I know.
Image Sources: GIPHY, Twitter @rawelementsusa, Pexels @jeremy bishop
