Some scientists say that the Great Barrier Reef is dead, while others are saying that there's still time to revive it. An Australian climate report says that the great reef is still not dead, but it definitely could be by 2030. Greenhouse gas emission is identified as its main killer, which means that if carbon emission is curbed, this might just save the reef.
Climate Council in Australia reveals that the mass bleaching event in 2016 has killed two-thirds of all coral in the northern third of the reef. Sadly, coral eradication in this scale is projected to occur every second or third year by the mid-2030. Scientists warn that total loss of the corals is guaranteed if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at their present rate.
This is just one of the warnings from the report about the imminent Great Barrier Reef death. It shows how climate change have triggered extreme weather events in Australia, the Sky News reports. "Last year we witnessed the worst bleaching event on record for our Reef," Australian Marine Conservation Society's Imogen Zethoven says.
Between 50 and 85 per cent of corals have tragically perished between Cape York and Lizard Island. A record 22 percent of corals are dead which could translate to the death of 22 percent of the largest living thing on Earth. The reef is also the only living thing that's surprisingly visible from space, the Gizmodo reports.
Probably the most alarming thing about the Great Barrier Reef's dying state is that the Government seems unworried about it. The Australian government seems unmoved by the threat of climate change, stubbornly insisting on investing even more money in coal. As long as coal, oil and gas burns as it currently does, we may ultimately have to bid farewell to the reef.
