Today in the restrooms at Murdoch Unviersity, the bathroom stalls were covered in stickers that looked like this (or that were conveying a very similar message):
These stickers are trying to make uni students aware of the ongoing coal-related construction in Queensland that could have extreme impacts on the Great Barrier Reef. These banks are investing in development and expansion for coal, which is not a sustainable source of energy in the first place. On top of this, the project harms this World Heritage Site that is home to over 1,000 different fish species and numerous other organisms. Building a coal export port here is not a sustainable development. This port only will benefit the economy, and it will only be beneficial for a very short amount of time. What’s going to happen to the economy once the Great Barrier Reef is harmed to the point that it can no longer recover? What would happen to the spirit of Australian citizens? Do these big banks not realize how much the reef provides for the country? Let’s just take a quick look:
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2014) state that coral reefs produce approximately $30billion worth of benefits each year, these include
- providing a source of food for millions of people around the world
- protecting coastlines
- providing habitat for sea creatures
- providing jobs
- providing a source for new medicines as well as a place for recreation
- and the list goes on and on!
There is no other site in the world that is comparable to the Great Barrier Reef. It cannot be replaced. In my opinion, and I hope in the opinions of many others, we should plan projects around the reef, not around coal. The reef is vulnerable and susceptible and as a global citizen I am uncomfortable with this plan. According to Banking on the Reef (2014), we must keep 80% of the fossil fuels underground in order to prevent disastrous climate change. Our actions have extreme consequences, but many businesses and industries that are profit-driven do not look far enough into the future to realize this. Instead, more money is being invested in removing more fossil fuels rather than investing in renewable energy for the future.
In order to make your voice heard, you can visit http://bankingonthereef.com.au/ and fill out some simple information in order to reach out to the banks that are involved in this current mess. It really only takes a few seconds. The Great Barrier Reef needs to be helped, but it looks like big banks and the coal industry do not understand the damage that they are causing to the reef and to the planet as a whole. The reef and the species that it supports have intrinsic value and provide so many services to humans. In my eyes, it looks like these banks are really just harming themselves in the end. We must develop a planet that is better for future generations rather than consume nonrenewable sources at extremely quick rates while polluting the planet for our own children and grandchildren. I am very glad that information about the issue is being placed in bathroom stalls so that university students are exposed to this information. That way, more voices that are concerned about the health of the reef can speak up.
References:
Banking on the Reef (2014). The Situation. Retrieved from http://bankingonthereef.com.au/ on 19 March 2015.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific. (2015). Save the Reef advertisement [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/news/climate/Abbot-Point-Dredging–Whos-really-to-blame/ on 19 March 2015.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2014). NOAA Coral Reef Monitoring Plan. Retrieved from http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/noaa_documents/NOS/CRCP/noaa_crcp_national_coral_reef_monitoring_plan_2014.pdf on 19 March 2015.
Earth & Perth 