Can you cut 1 Tonne of carbon pollution out of your life?
Take the challenge1 Million Women is calling for broad political agreement across party lines at the 2016 Australian election, and beyond, for urgent and sustained action on: Climate change, protection of the Great Barrier Reef, and a commitment to gender equality. Please sign our open letter to all candidates here. Let your voice be heard.
Beloved actor and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has used her voice to fight for the Reef, explaining how critical it is that we protect this amazing heritage listed site. The video is a plea to preserve our "beautiful, great, wonderful Great Barrier Reef."
The video is part of a campaign called 'Remember The Reef' that coincides with the upcoming release of 'Finding Dory.' DeGeneres voices the forgetful blue tang, Dory, in the sequel to the critically acclaimed 'Finding Nemo'.
Through tree planting, Remember the Reef aims to restore coastal wetlands and protect the Great Barrier Reef through a practical hands-on approach. These wetland habitats not only store carbon at a higher rate than forests, but also improve water quality by filtering sediments that flow from upper Queensland into the waters surrounding the Reef.
Climate change is by far the biggest threat the Reef faces, but it's not the only one. An increase in water pollution is coating coral in sediment that blocks its food source, sunlight. Crown of thorns starfish are devouring the Reef in increased populations. Improving water quality is vital to saving the Great Barrier and restoring coastal wetlands is a massive step in the right direction. But is it enough to protect the reef from the overwhelming impacts of climate change?
We've already seen more than 93% of the Great Barrier Reef devastated by coral bleaching. Richard Vevers of the Ocean Agency described diving off Lizard Island after the bleaching as "probably the most disturbing dive I've ever done". A problem this big doesn't only need to be tackled by dedicated not-for-profits, but by those who have the power to shape our country.
“We can turn it around, we have enough coral cover left. But we really have to take drastic action now”.- Dr Selina Ward
Image source: xl Catlin Seaview Survey
Although we've lost more than 50% of coral cover over the past thirty years, the Reef is not lost. Dr. Selina Ward from the University of Queensland believes that "we can turn this around" by reducing emissions very quickly, and increasing the water quality along with protecting the area from overfishing.
Jon Brodie from James Cook University believes that government needs to commit $10 billion over the next ten years to improve water quality and combat against climate change. It seems that although all parties have made financial commitments to care for the Reef, none equate to this amount. The Coalition has allocated $171 million to improving water quality, with labor adding $500 million to be spent over five years. Over the same time period, the Greens have pledged $2.18 billion, which falls billions short of the amount suggested by Brodie.
Read more: Australian Federal Election 2016: Where your candidates stand
In response to the video, Environmental Minister Greg Hunt has been furiously tweeting Ellen, boasting about the work the Australian Government has done to protect the Reef. The torrent of tweets seem surprisingly out of character for someone who recently contributed to Australia being the only inhabited country to be left out of a UNESCO report on climate change.
To save the real life backdrop of 'Finding Nemo' the Australian government needs to make real steps to reduce carbon emissions, and make them fast. In light of the Reef's current state, the upcoming Australian Federal election could be our last chance to save it.
Sign our open letter calling on all candidates to save the Great Barrier Reef.
Header image: Unsplash
1 Million Women is more than our name, it's our goal! We're building a movement of strong, inspirational women acting on climate change by leading low-carbon lives. To make sure that our message has an impact, we need more women adding their voice. We need to be louder. Joining us online means your voice and actions can be counted. We need you.
