RELAX, The Great Barrier Reef is FINE!
A recently published report from the Australian government brings good news from down under
‘Before making any more predictions, maybe go figure our why your earlier one was incorrect’
The Epitome of Global Warming
Which natural disasters do you associate with climate change?
Polar bears on the brink of extinction perhaps? Raging wildfires, or melting ice caps, maybe?
For many, it’s the devastating loss of beautiful corals in Australia’s amazing Great Barrier Reef.
Institutes and media outlets around the world from NOAA and the EPA, to National Geographic, The Guardian and the BBC have long trumpeted the demise of coral reefs as direct evidence for man-made climate catastrophe.
As far back as 1999, stories were published about the loss of the world’s corals.
‘Nothing can save the world's coral unless we begin, immediately, to keep our environmental promises and consume far less fossil fuel’ The Guardian, 1999
Quoting researchers in their more recent article titled ‘Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its corals since 1995’, the BBC states:
‘‘There is no time to lose - we must sharply decrease greenhouse gas emissions ASAP’’ BBC, 2020
Stop the Press!
The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) recently published a report that confirms the presence of record levels of coral coverage across much of the Great Barrier Reef! Yes, you read that correctly!
What did the report say?
AIMS reported that in the northern and central regions of the Great Barrier Reef, hard coral cover reached 36% and 33% respectively, the most ever recorded in these regions. Coverage in the southern region reduced by 34%, despite there being good growth in recent years, largely due to outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish.
The results show a rebound in the overall state of the reef following a number of unusually close-together bleaching events in recent years such as Cyclone Yasi in 2012 and the powerful El Niño event of 2016.
The rebound in coral coverage reinforces just how resilient the reef is in its ability to recover from unusual, extreme weather conditions and other natural phenomenon; a resilience that may be a surprise to many.
Vindication
Four years ago I posted on LinkedIn a few paragraphs about the controversial firing of Marine Physicist, Professor Peter Ridd, formerly of James Cook University in Australia.
Ridd was dismissed from the university because of his criticism of fellow-colleagues’ work and their doomsday-style portrayal of the state of the Great Barrier Reef.
Despite an initial success for unfair dismissal against the university, Ridd ultimately lost after the university appealed to Australia’s High Court.
I am sure Ridd was especially pleased to read the AIMS annual summary. The title of their report that would have greeted Ridd couldn’t have been clearer;
‘Continued coral recovery leads to 36-year highs across two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef’ AIMS, 2022
No wonder Ridd appeared happy when recently appearing on Australian national TV to discuss the report’s findings:
Even though the news is unlikely to undo the the events of the last few years which ultimately saw him lose his position studying and researching something that he is clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about, Ridd is quite right to be pleased.
This is good news after all; not only for Australia but for all those that celebrate and marvel at such wonders of the natural world.
And yet, why do I get the feeling that those on the alarmist side of the climate change debate will get little if any pleasure out of this news?
The BBC released an article last week in response to the AIMS report which cast a rather pessimistic shadow over the news. While acknowledging the increased coral cover, they were quick to highlight how progress remains ‘particularly vulnerable’, and that it could be ‘quickly undone by climate change’.
One wonders what exactly would constitute good news?!
On Twitter I saw a great response to those who seem to revel in general climate pessimism and making doomsday environmental predictions:
‘Before making any more predictions, maybe go figure out why your earlier one was incorrect’
Thanks Carbon Mike - I couldn’t have put it better myself!
I hope you have enjoyed reading about this rare piece of good news from the world of climate and environmental science!
-Tristan